Your Life's Art
by NavyBlueWings
Summary: Lucy is a Art major in her Senior year of college. She is roommates with Natsu. Taking a class called "Your Life's Art", Lucy is thrown a curve ball of an assignment. Not sure how to handle it, Lucy makes a decision that not only changes her life, but everyone in it! Now all she can think is... "Why Me?" Nalu mainly, but also Gale, Gruvia, Jerza. Mature content, be warned!
1. Your Life's Unexpected Art

**Hello all! So, this isn't exactly my first time on FF, but it IS my first time writing a Fairy Tail story. Normally you'll find me roaming around in the Naruto section, but I've come across this anime/manga and fallen in love. So I decided to come hang out here as well. This story is completely out of my element, but I'm pretty sure I rocked it! This will be a six chapter story, so I hope you stick around and enjoy it! =D**

**Disclaimer: ****I don't own Fairy Tail…feels weird to say a different name.**

**Warning: ****This story will have mature content in later chapters. You have been warned. **

**Chapter One: Your Life's Unexpected Art**

_Why me?_

It seemed to be the question of the week for Lucy. Sitting uncomfortably in nothing but a pink bra and matching underwear, the girl looked away from the completely lost boy in front of her. She knew his gaze was everywhere but her, probably realizing it wasn't okay to stare at her while she was half naked. Not like he was the reason she took her clothes off or anything. From the corner of her eyes she caught him awkwardly shifting the pillow that now was the only type of coverage the naked boy had. Her cheeks were molten red, her hands shaking as she tried not to cry. The whole situation might have been humorous to the blonde, if she wasn't involved. But she was. It was taking every ounce of her control to ignore the burning need to push her friend out of the third story window and lock herself in her room for eternity. Someone may think that was a little drastic, but after the week she had…

_Seriously, why me?_

She took a breath, thinking back to the dreadful Monday that had led to this situation.

* * *

Normally, Mondays were one of Lucy Heartfilia's favorite days. Despite being the end of her weekend, Lucy's college schedule left her with plenty of relaxation time on Mondays. And with it, she spent most of her time drawing whatever came to mind. Even when in class, Lucy found herself drawing story lines and random characters in-between her lecture notes. It was only natural, since her dream was to become a world known artist. Being a senior meant she had more freedom in which classes she took, since she had finished all of her core curriculum by her junior year. Lucy had enrolled in many advanced art classes; an American art class, a sculpting class, and an ancient/medieval art history class. Her fourth class was a psychology class, which she had taken with her best friend Levy McGarden and their friends Erza Scarlet and Juvia Lockser. With all the messed up men in their lives, each girl joked that a little psychology wouldn't hurt.

Oh! How could she forget her number one reason for liking Mondays? Every Monday night, she had an eccentric class simply called "Your Life's Art" that was suggested to her by her abstract art teacher the year before. The class wasn't offered every semester, and Lucy didn't want to miss out on her last chance to take it. Having been in the class for almost a month, Lucy knew this was not like any other class in the school. The first day, Professor Mirajane Strauss had informed them that this class was not based on mere skill or knowledge of art. It was a simple pass/fail style, where if the work was done, they would get an A.

"_The class-" She said with a cheerful tone, "was made to focus on you." _

At that point, most of the students were starting to drift into their own worlds. Lucy felt for the beautiful woman, assuming this was her first year teaching college students. Making it a pass/fail basically meant nobody would pay attention. But that thought process changed in the blonde when the teacher's next words were tainted with danger.

"_But I warn you now; there are no boundaries in this class. I will push every one of you to edges you've never been asked to walk upon. You will draw things and experience them more in this class than you will for the rest of your life. Why? Because, as I said, the main focus of this class is you and whatever secrets you hold within yourself. You should be prepared for it." _She said it with a smile and a tilt of her head, which left an air of uneasy mystery to her warning. While some of the students were scared and withdrew from the class, Lucy saw it as a challenge she was happy to accept. After all, how dangerous could one class be?

"Lucy!" The girl in question peered up from her sketchpad, smiling brightly at the blue-haired girl who called to her. Levy was a passionate philologist who was determined to learn every language ever written. She had been friends with Lucy since they were in high school. Though she was petite and sweet, Levy was not your average girl. But then again, who was in Lucy's crazy life?

"Hey! I haven't seen you since you came back from Greece with the anthropology department. How was the trip? You finally crack that language you were slaving over?" Lucy asked, pausing in her work as the girl plopped down next to her on the bench.

"Yes, finally. And I would have gotten it sooner if that big lug-nut Gajeel didn't hover over me every time I went into the ruins. He kept saying 'shrimp, you're going to hurt yourself' whenever I would go off on my own to explore. And it's not like he had to help me down more than twice!" Despite the annoyed tone in the pouting girl's voice, Lucy knew better than to take Levy's words at face value. Just like Levy's studies, nothing was ever what it seemed on the surface. Levy had first introduced the "lug-nut" to Lucy three years ago at a Halloween party. It was their freshman year of college, which Lucy had dressed up as a playboy bunny for (by the strange request of her kitty-costume friend Erza). Gajeel Redfox was a junior at the time, and took no time in deciding Lucy's real name was 'bunny girl'. Gajeel had met Levy in an introduction to anthropology class he was interning in. Gajeel was a paleontologist student, and damn good at what he did. He had a knack for finding fossils in places that nobody would ever guess to look. He said he just got 'hunches'. If anyone was meant to find proof of big foot or dragons, it was Gajeel Redfox.

At first, Gajeel wanted nothing to do with Levy. He didn't like her upbeat personality, or her optimistic view that he wasn't as tough as he pretended to be. To prove her wrong, he made it a point to embarrass Levy in front of the entire class during her midterm presentation on fossil preservation. It was simply to break the girl. He had expected her to back down or cry, and was not prepared for the book bag she threw at his head. He obviously didn't know what kind of place Lucy and her friends came from. That fiery spirit was born in every person who claimed Fairy Tail as their second home. Levy stood her ground and only pushed harder, and it seemed to make an impression on the gruff guy. So much so, that throughout the next few years, Gajeel continued to work with the school in order to keep an eye on Levy. He wouldn't admit it, just as Levy wouldn't say she enjoyed his company. The two were impossible, and yet the sideway glances and occasional kind moments between the two gave Lucy hope for their happy ending.

"He doesn't go on the trips to just annoy you." At Lucy's suggestion, Levy pouted and looked away from her. Trying to dig a little deeper in the sensitive subject, Lucy placed her hand tenderly on Levy's shoulder and smiled. "You know he pays out of pocket to go on these trips. You get a discount because you're a student, but Gajeel has to pay full price. He does it because he's worried about your safety, even if he won't admit it."

"…It's not like he deserves the discount. He's not even a student here anymore! He should just save his money and stop acting like my guard dog!" Levy yanked her knees up to her chest, placing the backs of her heels onto the bench to keep from falling forward. She scowled at the ground, her voice weaker than before. "Doesn't he get that I don't need him to baby me anymore? I'm not a naïve freshman; I'm already twenty one. I'm not a 'shrimp' anymore…why doesn't he see that?"

"Is that what's bothering you? That you think he doesn't see you as his equal?" When Lucy noticed the shade of pink that now tinted Levy's cheeks, she knew she hit the mark on the head. Since there was a two year age difference between the two, Gajeel had always told Levy to try and keep up with him. Though Lucy was sure it was his way to keeping Levy focused on him, she could see now how the words seemed to haunt Levy. And who wouldn't be upset when their person of interest constantly called them names like 'shrimp' and 'shorty'? She couldn't remember a time Gajeel had called Levy by name in the three years she had known him. Lucy pulled her friend into a hug, knowing that her friend needed comfort. "Levy, you've got to know he thinks of you in the highest regard."

"He's got a stupid way of showing it," Levy muttered, burying her face into her friend's shoulder.

"And that's why we're taking that psychology class, remember?" Both girls laughed at Lucy's reply, the spirit of the conversation turning much lighter than before. It lasted a second before Lucy's phone went off, and the blonde looked down at the familiar ringtone. "Speaking of morons…"

"Natsu texting you again?" Levy asked, flipping through the sketchbook that Lucy had almost forgotten about.

"Yeah it's him, though he should be paying attention to Professor Dreyar right now. He's going to get yelled at…again," Lucy mumbled, writing back a reply. The guy in question was Natsu Dragneel, another one of Lucy's childhood friends. In fact, Natsu was the first one to greet Lucy when she moved into Magnolia at the age of fifteen. He wasted no time introducing himself as well as every person he could think of in town to her. Like wildfire, Natsu dragged her all over the town the first day they met, but nothing was more important for him to show her than the hangout simply called 'Fairy Tail'. It was a huge building that people of ages hung out at, swapping stories and making friends. Or fights, if you were Natsu and Gray Fullbuster. He introduced her to the whole gang and by nightfall, Lucy felt like she had known them for her entire life. Especially Natsu. She had even fallen asleep next to him on Fairy Tail's lawn that same summer night. It wasn't the last time, either.

Six years later, and the two were still attached at the hip. Not that Lucy really minded most of the time. Natsu was always the person she went to when things in her life got tough. Whether it was being bullied for being the new kid (Natsu had beat everyone of them up) or just holding her hand at her father's funeral, Natsu never left her side. He was loyal, if nothing else.

"Dreyar? That guy's had it out for Natsu ever since he decided to major in criminal justice. Why does Natsu keep taking classes with him?"

"Because Natsu says he's the best criminal justice teacher they have besides Professor Clive. And you know Natsu; he wants to be taught by the best so he can become better than them. He'll put himself through hell in their classes so long as he gets the pride of saying he 'beat' them." Levy laughed at Lucy's explanation, though she didn't seem surprised in the least.

"That sounds like our Natsu. Thank god you convinced him to go to school with us. Imagine if he had used this drive in some type of shady business? He'd be running a fight club or something, and nobody could stop him. Well, except maybe Erza."

"Erza could stop a small army if she was having a bad day," Lucy replied, the two of them shivering at the thought. Though kind to anyone she considered a friend, Erza was not someone you would want to meet in a dark alley. She specialized in several types of combat, both modern and ancient in style. She mastered any weapon she touched, and even without a sword she was quite dangerous. It was probably why she decided to have the concentration of medieval history. Fighting fascinated her way more than the average girl.

"Speaking of bad day, I should probably get going. I've got a meeting with Professor Makarov and _him _to discuss a possible presentation of our trip to the archeology board." Knowing she was speaking of Gajeel, Lucy smiled and nodded.

"That's fine; my class is starting in a little bit so I should head over there." Levy handed back the sketch book to Lucy and the two of them started to walk toward the middle of the campus.

"How is that class going? Is it really all about you?"

"It's very introspective. She's had us draw and paint a lot of things from our childhood, both good and bad. A few sensitive things here and there, but nothing I'm afraid to do. Professor Mira said we'd be getting into the hard stuff today; which makes me a little nervous. But, if I want to be an artist, I have to do whatever it takes."

"Now you're starting to sound like Natsu," Levy said, making Lucy shake her head.

"Don't say that! I already live with him; I don't need to turn into him too."

"You sure spend a lot of time with him, Lucy." At the implied tone in Levy's voice, Lucy stopped outside of the art building and rolled her eyes.

"He's my best friend, and that's it."

"You've never thought of him as something more? Not even once?" Lucy didn't know how many times she had been wrapped up in this conversation involving her and Natsu. And it wasn't just Levy either. Erza, Juvia, even Gray and Gajeel had made a comment or two. But every time they asked, it was always the same answer. Sure, Natsu had never really shown interest in dating before. And though Lucy had tried with a few guys, none had turned out to be more than a passing interest. The two of them were more likely to spend a Friday night on the couch watching horrible sy-fy movies than out enjoying the college nightlife. Did that mean that the two of them were in _love_? No! It just meant they were really compatible, and enjoyed each other's company. A lot.

And it wasn't like Lucy had never thought about it before. She had given a good amount of time thinking of what a relationship with Natsu would be like. More than once too. It was most apparent sophomore year when Gray had told her some troubling news. Gray had invited the two of them to a party he was hosting the Friday before winter break. Lucy and Natsu had gotten into a fight about her not going. Natsu had agreed for both of them without Lucy's permission, which angered the girl more than Natsu said it should have. After all, how many other times had Natsu dragged her into situations without her permission? Lucy, however, had a huge project due and refused to put it off until the very last minute like Natsu had suggested. Natsu never came home that night, and Lucy had passed it off to him still being mad at her. Temptation to call him was strong, but she refused to apologize for putting her studies first.

She instantly regretted declining her invitation when calling Gray the next morning looking for Natsu. She had tried to call the pink-haired boy, but his phone was shut off for some reason. Getting worried, she put aside their fight and called Gray. She didn't want to see obsessive by asking about Natsu right away, so instead she pretended to be interested in how the party went. It was then Gray informed her that Natsu had "finally" lost his virginity. It had made her feel awkward, and not in a good way. She had avoided her best friend for a week after, trying to decipher what the aching in her heart had meant. Natsu, not being quite as dense as he was in high school, eventually cornered her into talking to him in their apartment bathroom. She denied avoiding him while she tried to casually bring up what Gray said, only to find that Natsu had no interest of going down that path again.

"_What's there to talk about? It really wasn't that great; I didn't even know the girl. Besides, I'd much rather just hang out with you here than go to ice princess's party. You feel the same way, right Luce?" _He said it like it was obvious, and she quickly felt stupid for the emotional turmoil she had put herself through. No matter who came into their lives, Natsu would never abandon her. Lucy never heard Natsu speak of the girl again, not that she really minded. Determining her feelings were from fear of losing her best friend, and nothing more, Lucy resigned on the fact that a relationship would only ruin that.

But that didn't stop the occasional 'what if' from popping into her head.

"I really have to get to class," Lucy said, knowing if she didn't stop the conversation before it started, Levy would stir up feelings she didn't want to think about.

"Oh, right! And I have that meeting…which I'm officially late for. Gajeel is never going to let me live this down. I'll see you in psychology tomorrow!" The energetic girl gave a wave before running off, Lucy watching her until she was out of sight. Only then did she let out a relieved breath, pulling herself to walk up the long set of stairs and toward her classroom. By now the room was full, since class was going to start any minute. She put her phone on silent, knowing that her teacher could be a real demon if interrupted. She was just about to put her phone away when another text message popped up, Natsu's name scrolling over her screen.

_Good luck with class today! Draw me something cool and I'll make dinner? _

Leaning her head against her arm, Lucy couldn't stop the smile that rose from his text. Despite his annoying moments and lack of cleanliness, Natsu was amazing in his own way. Never letting the world put him down, he made his own brilliant path that even amazed those who didn't know him. People always looked at him and determined what he could and couldn't do. He said they had done that to him since he was a child. Natsu would only get 'fired up' at people's assumptions before blowing their expectations out of the water. It was obvious he was meant to be something great in life. Despite that, he never forgot to bring Lucy along, and encouraged her with every dream she had. And if anyone tried to crush her dreams, he would crush their faces with his fist.

How had she been so lucky to meet someone like him?

"Good afternoon class." A soft voice entered Lucy's thoughts, steering them away from anything dangerous. She slipped her phone into her purse as Professor "Mira" (as she liked her students to call her) Strauss moved to the front of the classroom with a smile. Lucy listened as role call was done, which was followed by a lecture of human perception. The lecture itself was fascinating, if not a bit risky when the conversation went to nudity in art.

"Now, class. Art is about the perception of what we find alluring, beautiful, and even exciting. It's no surprise that most of our prized art collections involve the human body of some sorts. Michelangelo's _David _, Botticelli's _Birth of Venus_ and the many depictions of Adam and Eve all center around the beauty of the human body." Mira now had the class in a circle, which she walked in the middle of while lecturing. "Beauty that we, as artists, should be able to capture in a drawing. But, like with everything we do in this class, this is about you as an individual. So, I'd like to open the floor with this simple question; what parts of the human body do you find arousing to the eye?"

Lucy could feel herself flush a bit at the question. This wasn't the first time the topic of sex was brought up, and Lucy was guessing it wouldn't be the last. Mira had warned that this class would have no boundaries, and she wasn't lying. Death, sex, mutilation, addictions…they were all free game for the teacher to explore. The class glanced around at each other, unsure of how to answer the question. Seeing the slight nerves in her peers made Lucy feel better. While she doubted that most of them were virgins like her, Lucy still felt a little closer in knowing they weren't sex fiends either.

"The stomach." Lucy jerked her head over to a boy who was leaning back in his chair, seeming to be the only one unaffected by the question. Not that she was surprised. Loke was nothing if not confident in his sexual knowledge. She should know; he had only tried to get in her pants every day in at Fairy Tail. The astronomy major had calmed down after college opened doors to many more women, but he still tended to offer his 'assistance' to her whenever the group was together. A part of her even thought that he had taken some art classes just to have the opportunity to tease her without Natsu being around. Still, she couldn't deny his ability to draw either. Loke tilted his glasses down his nose as he glanced over to Lucy, smirking slightly while he continued. "I find a woman's stomach to be very alluring. The more times I see it, the better in my opinion. A woman confident in her own skin, willing to show off her body, is what inspires me."

"Excellent Loke. Thank you for opening up the floor, I can tell you're a natural born leader," Mira said, smiling at the handsome boy before looking around again. Slowly, the other artists spoke as well, throwing any body part out there that came to mind. The obvious ones, like boobs and asses, came into play. Some, like the shoulder, legs, and even tongue were explored as well. Lucy stayed perfectly silent, taking notes meticulously while constantly glancing to the clock. Though she loved this class, she was somewhat uneducated when it came to this part. She had been kissed many times before; and one boyfriend had even gotten her shirt off. But other than that, she wasn't quite sure what got her excited. Maybe eyes? Hair? Stomach like Loke? She scrunched her nose while she tried to come up with anything to contribute.

But the only thing she could think about was what Natsu had cooked up for dinner. She knew it was off topic, and had nothing to do with the question, but it made her smile despite the embarrassing conversation. She knew Natsu was more of a 'take-out' kind of guy, always seeming to somehow swindle her into paying. She didn't even think he knew _how _to cook, always asking her to make him something if the funds for food were not available. Knowing Natsu's obsession with food, she could only hope he didn't go overboard.

"Now, I would like to spend the last ten minutes explaining your next project." Every week, Mira would assign a project that was to be completed by the next class. The best of the class was then posted in the front of the class for the next week, in order to inspire the other students to work hard. Lucy had never had the honor of having her piece displayed, but she was determined to do it by the end of the year. If she could beat the other fifteen talented artists in her class, then she could beat anyone in the real world. "As we've discussed, nudity in art is common as well as welcome. And for this project, each one of you will be drawing a model, naked."

"What?"

"Oh, cool!"

"This should be fun." The reactions came in droves, though Mira allowed the class to chatter for a few moments amongst themselves. Lucy herself didn't make a peep, nervously glancing to her other classmates. She caught Loke's eye, who smirked at her in a way that made her face burn. He was enjoying her discomfort, wasn't he? Quickly her eyes shot back to the teacher, not letting the mischievous astronomy major see how he affected her.

"Who are we drawing?" Finally, Mira placed her hand up when the specific question was asked. Mira's eyes opened with a gleam that seemed to instantly shut the class up. Lucy watched the innocuous teacher scan the classroom.

"Is this class not about yourselves? And yet you ask me to pick who you are to draw. That should be my question. Who are_ you _drawing? That is your challenge. I want you to find someone in your life, be it your partner, friend, co-worker, or fellow student, to draw. They must, however, be someone who you find, in your own perception, to be beautiful. We've talked about what each of you finds beautiful and enticing. You know what you look for.

"This piece is not meant to be you sketching a human body you've never encountered before. That has no inspiration or introspection. This has to be someone who has affected you, someone who you can pour your own feelings for into the drawing. That, my lovely students, is what I wish to see on my desk Monday afternoon. Your intimate passion. This is my favorite project. A weird one, I'll admit, but my favorite. Why? Because it is the one that most of my students find the true meaning to this class. Where they find the artist only they can be."

The room fell completely silent, the only noise being Mira's high heels clicking across the floor to her desk. She shuffled her papers and student projects into her arms, moving to the doorway. She glanced back at her stunned classroom, her beautiful smile never wavering despite the horrified looks on some of her student's faces.

"Class dismissed!" Like she hadn't just dropped a bomb on them, Mira closed her eyes and giggled before walking out of the room. The students seemed frozen with the still sinking assignment from her teacher. But, after a few more moments of shock, the classroom started to come alive again with chatter. Questions of who each were picking were exchanged while the students followed their teacher in gathering their stuff. Seats were put back into place, and each person managed to find their way back into the world they had come from before stepping into their 2:15 art class.

One, however, did not move. She did not blink, did not speak, and did not lean an inch from where she was the moment the assignment was handed down to her. Lucy was sure she had heard the assignment wrong. There was no way, she reasoned, that Mira would make her do something like this. She must have fallen asleep during the lecture. Because if she didn't fall asleep, if she didn't hear it wrong, if Mira _was _making her do something like that…

"Lucy?" Finally Lucy blinked, a hand waving in front of her face. Slowly looking up, she jumped when seeing Loke's eyebrow arching toward her.

"Lo-Lo-Loke!" Lucy exclaimed, jumping out of her seat and nearly falling onto the floor. The person in question quickly grabbed her shoulders, blinking once when seeing her knees give out.

"Are you going to be okay? Do you need me to walk you home?" Lucy shook her head fiercely, trying to stabilize her jell-o legs while taking a few long breaths. Pushing up to hold her own weight, Lucy gave him a shaken smile and stepped out of his hold.

"I'm fine. I just…did you hear that assignment?!" Loke laughed at her obvious embarrassment, shrugging while escorting her out of the room. The two walked in sync toward her apartment despite her previous answer.

"Yeah, a few people I know took this class and warned me about this. I guess I was a little more prepared than some of you." Lucy looked over to him in question, making Loke smirk. "Aries asked me to be her model two years ago."

"A-A-Aries took this cla-class?!" That almost shocked her as much as the actual assignment. Aries was an extremely shy girl, who made Lucy look almost slutty in comparison. She was so sweet and soft-spoken, Lucy couldn't figure out how a girl like her could have made it through this class without passing out.

"She's really good friends with Mira's little sister, Lisanna. The two took it together two years ago in order to support Mira's first trial. Lisanna drew Juvia since they are roommates in the girls' dormitory. Aries asked to draw me, which gives me a perfectly good reason to ask her for the same favor." Lucy watched the smile grow on Loke's face, and scowled. Loke was confident in his body, and loved it when girls praised and gawked him. Being asked to be drawn by Aries would have been no problem for him. But with the tables turned, it seemed almost cruel for the boy to ask so much from the timid girl.

"Do you really think she'll let you?" Loke's smile only grew as he grabbed Lucy's hand, pulling her chest into his. Instinctively she gasped, weakly blushing at how intimate the position was. Despite her refusal to date Loke, Lucy wasn't stupid enough to deny he was handsome.

"An eye for an eye right? Unless you'd like to be my muse…" The words were spoken so smoothly into her ear, Lucy almost swayed. But after hearing a soft chucked against her skin, Lucy shoved the suave playboy away from her and glared.

"Not in your lifetime! You keep your paws off me!" Lucy shouted, trying to override the blush creeping through her skin. Loke let out a loud sigh, pushing his glasses closer to his eyes.

"You sure are clueless, little Lucy. The reason I know Aries will help me out is because we've been dating for over a year." Lucy stared at Loke, trying to see if he was joking or not. Sure, she hadn't really talked to Loke since their last class together sophomore year, but this was a little farfetched. Loke and Aries? When did that happen? As far as Lucy knew, Loke was too flirtatious to be anyone's boyfriend, never mind for a year! And Aries? The girl could hardly speak in front of boys, never mind someone with such a strong personality.

"B-but…you're so flirty! There's no way you can be in a relationship!"

"I only tease you because you're just too funny to resist. But you can ask Juvia or Gray, both will confirm my statement. When Aries asked me to be her model, it wasn't long before I figured out why. And once I gave it some thought, being with her only seemed natural. It took a while for her to trust that I wouldn't run off with another girl, since she had watched me for so long chase short skirts." As if to emphasis his point, Loke gave a short nod to the skirt Lucy was wearing. She yanked it down slightly at his acknowledgement, fuming for implying something so blunt. "But after a year of courting, she became my girlfriend."

"Wow. Well…congratulations! I'm sorry I never noticed, but you are fortunate that she'd look past your playboy ways." Lucy smiled as Loke missed a step in his walking. It was rare to see the king lose his cool, even for a second.

"You'd be surprised at how much I've changed from that boy you knew in high school. And it's all because of this assignment. Which makes me wonder…" As the two approached Lucy's apartment, she glanced up casually to see him lost in thought. It was only when she finally reached the steps to her door that she spoke.

"Wonder what?"

"I'm just wondering what you'll discover by the end of this." At the intangible question, Lucy looked back to Loke in confusion. Just what was he talking about now? She put her hand on the doorknob, the jingling seeming to shake off Loke's contemplative thoughts. He sent her a small salute, his debonair smile coming back. "I suppose this is goodbye until Monday, unless you happen to come over to Gray's party Friday."

"Most likely not. I tend to stay away from those things." She smiled and waved, thanking him for walking her home. She started to walk into her complex when she heard her classmate call her name. Looking over her shoulder, she tilted her head to let him know she was listening.

"Just so you know; a good way to get someone to relax is to make them feel like they're not alone." It took her a moment to realize he was talking about the drawing.

"How do I do that?" She asked, not being able to see his expression from how dark it had become. Still, she could hear the playful tone in his answer.

"You'll figure it out, I'm sure." Without another word, Loke shoved his hands in his pockets and turned away from the blonde, letting the darkness engulf him. Lucy leaned against the doorframe, slightly unnerved by his response. What did he mean by that? And who was he thinking about when he was talking to her? Loke sure made her head spin. A cold breeze reminded her she was still outside. She quickly shut the door behind her before climbing up the two flights of stairs to her apartment. Having a student apartment with Natsu was great, but the trek up to the third floor always killed her. Was she really that out of shape? Lucy ran her fingers over her stomach as she opened the door to her apartment, trying to feel for any extra fat. Satisfied to see she was still pretty skinny, Lucy dropped her bag on the floor and called out into the open space.

"I'm home!" As soon as she said it, she heard a loud swear coming from the kitchen. She giggled as she made her way through the living room, but slowly lost her humor when seeing the black smoke in the air. Running into the kitchen, Lucy screamed when seeing a pan was literally on fire. Natsu, who was covered in multiple food items, was now waving the pan in the air to try and put out the flame. When the air only enhanced the flame's power, Lucy ran across the kitchen and turned on the sink. With little thought to her roommate, Lucy grabbed the sprayer and aimed it at the pan, effectively putting out the fire and giving Natsu a bath in the process. Before he could yell at the girl, he slipped on the water and fell onto the floor, hitting the smoldering pan against his own head. Lucy gasped and instantly stopped spraying, dropping the instrument and running to Natsu's side. Helping him up onto his butt, Lucy let him lean back against her while she checked the red mark on the side of his temple.

"That hurts, Lucy," The boy whined, though didn't push her fingers away. She shushed him before pushing his hair back, wincing at the lump that was quickly starting to form.

"You idiot. What the heck were you thinking, waving fire in the air like that? You could have lit something else on fire. Or even yourself! You're not turning into a pyromaniac are you?" He glared over to her as she smiled, gently rubbing the sore spot to try and relieve the pain.

"How was I supposed to know that oil caught on fire?" Her face deadpanned at the common fact she expected anyone to know. Then again, this was Natsu she was talking to. She let out a long sigh, scanning the kitchen for any more disasters she'd have to tackle.

"Wow, Nastu…" Surprisingly, everything else seemed intact. Even the table was set up nicely. When she felt the guy in front of her squirm, she looked down to see him looking at the wall in slight embarrassment.

"It's just that I got some extra money from working with Gray and Elfman at the bar, and I figured you'd want a nice dinner or something. Elfman was going on and on about how it was 'manly' to take care of any woman in your life, even if it's just you." Well gee, didn't that make her feel special. Still, she couldn't help but laugh.

"This is really nice, even if it is 'just me'. Thank you," she said, helping him to his feet while trying to see what it was he actually had made. A pasta dinner may have seemed simple enough for Lucy. But she had a feeling it was like slaying a dragon for Natsu. He even attempted at a salad? Looking back to her roommate, she felt the stress from earlier lift off her shoulders. She grinned and placed her hand on his head, ruffling his wet hair. "Why don't you go change so we can actually enjoy this?"

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?!"

"Besides the fact that you're soaked and covered with food? Food I don't even see on this table…"

"I couldn't decide what I wanted to make!" She rolled her eyes, pushing him toward his room.

"Hurry up, or the food's going to get cold." At the mention of his dinner going to waste, Natsu quickly stopped his resisting and disappeared into his room. Lucy sighed, wondering just how old Natsu's inner self was. She moved to the fridge, grabbing a water bottle and a beer, before she cleaned up the water mess. The last thing she needed was Natsu falling down for a second time. She had just finished cleaning the pan he had used when Natsu came back scowling. Before he could open his mouth, Lucy tossed him the beer bottle and sat at the table. "What's with the sour look?"

"That bastard Gildarts—"

"Professor Clive," Lucy corrected, knowing the teacher's first name. A lot of the professors, including Professor Dreyar and Professor Clive, were sometimes seen in Fairy Tail. Mira, Lucy discovered, even worked there during the semesters she wasn't teaching. It was kind of weird to see the teachers outside of the college, but it was a public place outside of the school, so it didn't technically break the rules. And even if it did, nobody was going to tell. Fairy Tail had that affect on people.

"Yeah, him. He just texted me and told me I had to run his classes for him tomorrow."

"Isn't that a good thing that he trusts you?"

"More like that booze is going out drinking with his alcoholic daughter tonight and is expecting to be hung over tomorrow. What do I look like, a substitute? I'm an intern!" It was kind of the same thing, but Lucy wasn't going to argue. She watched Natsu crack the beer cap off with his teeth, making her cringe.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that? You're going to break your teeth." At the comment Natsu scoffed and spit the cap across the room, beaming at her to show her his teeth.

"You could hit these babies with a truck and not one would move. I'm practically invincible." And with the statement, Natsu wasted no time stuffing his face with food. Lucy laughed and started on her own dinner, the rest of the night going as smoothly as a night with Natsu and Lucy could. After dinner they got ready for bed, then sat on the couch and skimmed through the channels. Like every time before, they ended up watching some B-rated movie that was more comedy than horror. Even with Natsu's constant laughing, Lucy felt the drain from everything today start to hit. Without much warning she felt her head dropping before it was guided to lie on Natsu's shoulder. She snuggled into his warmth, happy to know he took care of her as much as she did him.

"Go to sleep Luce. I'll bring you to bed when the movie's done." She knew, as she fell asleep, that she was forgetting to tell him something important. But before she could remember what it was, she was out like a light.

**And that's a wrap for chapter one! I always knew saw Mira as the teaching kind! I hope that you guys enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it! It definitely helped clear some plot bunnies. So, who will Lucy pick for her drawing? How will her roommate react to her choice? And who else would love to see Natsu as Gildarts intern? I can see the anarchy now. **

**Chapter Two: ****A Stripper has its Benefits**


	2. A Stripper Has Its Benefits

**Hello again! I hope you enjoyed the first part of this story. It's weird getting into a fandom where almost nobody knows me, but I refuse to give up! So hope the ones who stuck around enjoy this chapter. =)**

**Disclaimer: Things I don't own…a corvette, a corgi, a hot boyfriend, and Fairy Tail….-sighs-**

**Warning: Later chapters will be filled with some lemony goodness. You have been warned! **

**Chapter Two: A Stripper Has Its Benefits**

"You really posed naked for Lisanna?" Levy's loud question caught the attention of anyone in a ten foot radius, not that she seemed to mind. The psychology class was let out early, so the four girls decided to grab lunch together to talk about Lucy's dilemma. After explaining what Mira and Loke had said, Levy latched onto what she considered the most interesting part of the story. Juvia, who was now tugging at her hair in embarrassment, nodded while she stared out the window.

"Juvia wanted to help her friend, in return for what she has done for Juvia." Lucy smiled at the response, wondering how long it would take for Juvia to stop talking in third person. It was a habit that had been going on since they met sophomore year.

"It's a very noble thing to do, Juvia. Even with my love for my friends, I'm not sure I could make the sacrifice you did," Erza said, trying to calm the embarrassed girl.

"Well count me out. I've only let three people in my life see me naked, and I don't plan on adding a fourth!" Levy's obvious modesty made Lucy raise an eyebrow to the semi-blushing girl.

"Wait, what about your future husband? You're just going to have sex with clothes on?"

"Juvia thinks that sex with clothes would be most impossible, Levy." Levy looked between the two before muttering something under her breath. Erza, not reading the atmosphere, quickly spoke.

"I don't think he's a good candidate for marriage. And how did he see you naked?" Lucy blinked as Levy's face rose in color; quickly throwing her hands over Erza's confused mouth.

"We're not here to talk about me! We're talking about Lucy having to draw someone naked by Monday!" Returning back to the dreadful topic, Lucy groaned and dropped her head on the table.

"She said it had to be someone I know, so I can't exactly just go look up a picture on the internet. I mean, I could, but I feel like she'd somehow know. Professor Mira is kind of creepy like that."

"And lying isn't the answer, Lucy." Righteous Erza struck again, slamming her fist down on the table. Lucy yelped as her head bounced off the surface while the other two jumped. "You'll just have to find someone comfortable enough around you to strip."

"Who the heck is going to be okay with stripping in front of me?!" Lucy asked, yanking her head up to stare at the redhead. She got no verbal response, though Erza's eyes shifted over to Juvia. Lucy looked to the girl, who instantly blushed and shook her head.

"Juvia was so embarrassed the first time; Juvia could not do it again. Juvia is sorry, Lucy."

"No, it's okay. I don't know if I could get the right emotion to draw you either. You're a great friend, but I'd need someone that I've known a little longer than you."

"Well what about Loke? He said he's done it before, and you've known him since we were all in high school. You two hung out at Fairy Tail too, right? Plus, he's in your class. I'm sure that he'd pose for you if you needed him to," Levy offered, which resulted in a quick shake of the head from Lucy.

"No way. Now that I know he's someone's boyfriend, it would be too weird for me to draw him. And I don't really have any uh…well, passion with him. Professor Mira said it had to be someone that invokes feelings within me. So someone I'm pretty close to." The other three girls looked around the table, each seeming to understand each other without saying a word. Lucy's eyebrows furrowed together, not liking the hesitant looks on their faces. The clock chimed eleven times, signaling that they were running out of time to come up with ideas. But Lucy wasn't ready to leave yet. "What? What did I say?"

"Juvia has to go to her class now!" Before Lucy could stop her, the girl slipped away from the table and out of the cafeteria. Lucy wasted no time grabbing the two left, yanking them back down in their seats.

"Will one of you just tell me what you were all thinking? This is my grade we're talking about here!" She gave both the best puppy dog eyes she could muster, trying to get either one of them to cave. Levy hesitated before slowly opening her mouth.

"Well…you do have someone _really _close to you," Levy said, though not giving away the answer.

"Are you offering me spot number four on your naked list?"

"No!"

"What she means is," Erza started, pushing Levy back into her seat. Erza took a slight breath, looking over to her younger friend and squaring her shoulders like a battle stance. Erza was a little eccentric, but Lucy refrained from saying anything to hear what the girls were babbling about. "You could always ask Natsu to pose for you."

"Natsu?" Lucy repeated, instantly coming up with a picture of the pink-haired roommate in her head. "Natsu…" after she repeated his name, the image morphed into him starting to undo his pants. Fiercely blushing once she realized what she was doing, Lucy quickly smacked her own palm onto her forehead and look back at the two girls in front of her. "NATSU?!"

"It was just a thought!" Levy said quickly, gathering her stuff while she rambled. "I mean if you don't want to ask him, I'm sure there are other people that you are close to that don't have a problem with getting naked for you and I'm really sorry that I can't sit here and talk because I have to go see a teacher about a paper soIwillseeyoutomorrowgoodluc k BYE!"

"Wait!" but once again, her friends left her alone with her problem still unanswered. Lucy, huffing from the 'help' that her friends gave her, packed up her things and headed toward her sculpting class. As she walked, she couldn't stop thinking about what Erza had just said. Her draw Natsu…naked? Even thinking about it brought an unwanted flush to Lucy's face. Just what the hell were they thinking? Not only would Natsu say no to her asking, but it would probably mess up their friendship! Natsu wasn't the kind of guy to just whip out what the good lord gave him in front of other people. Lucy had been his roommate for three years and had never seen him without pants on. He hated Gray's stripping habit, and had admitted to her that he never felt comfortable changing in the locker rooms at high school. Natsu, contrary to his explosive personality, was extremely modest with nudity. To ask him to pose for her would probably make him think she had no respect for him. And that was the last thing she ever wanted to do.

"Hello Lucy." Despite never being a pro at clay molding, there was one benefit to the frustrating class. Lucy smiled at her handsome friend, who was already working on his piece from the previous class. Gray Fullbuster was also an art student, who specialized in sculpting with any type of material. In the winter, the campus was flooded with ice sculptures done by her very talented friend. Dropping her bag next to her pottery stand, Lucy rolled up the sleeves to her green button up before sitting next to Gray.

"Hi Gray, how are you?" At her cheerful greeting he shrugged, pedaling the sculpture around. His eyes narrowed on a single spot before his hands quickly moved to perfect it. Lucy couldn't help but watch the talent his fingers created. Though he was what Natsu called a 'Frenemy', Lucy had always gotten along with Gray's cool composure. What would irritate most people, Gray let go with a shrug of his shoulders. He was one of the few friends that Lucy would call normal, except for his unexplainable need to strip. Back in high school, he got called into the principal's office more times without a shirt on than with. Luckily for him, the principal was single and she was willing to let him off the hook more than once.

"I can't say I have as many problems as you." Lucy went to ask what he was talking about, but the composed guy beat her to it. "Juvia called me about ten minutes ago in a panic. Said something about abandoning you in a time of crisis. I told her you'd be fine. But, it doesn't sit well with me that you're so troubled by something you'd go to Juvia for help."

"Well why wouldn't I? She's my friend, and a really good listener. Anyone would be lucky to have her in their life… _if _they gave her a chance," Lucy said, giggling as Gray's skilled hands fumbled for a minute. He cursed quietly before looking over to her, slight irritation in his normally stoic gaze.

"Me and Juvia have a platonic relationship."

"Oh, I get it." She waited until he started to mold again before she spoke. "So then she can date Lyon?"

"No!" He snapped quickly, which only enhanced the grin on Lucy's face. It was very rare that Gray showed his anger, but adding Lyon Vastia and Juvia into the same sentence was a sure fire way to get on Gray's bad side. Despite his constant denial of anything going on between him and Juvia, he never seemed to enjoy the idea of another guy talking to her. No, he didn't go to the extremes that Juvia did when seeing him with another girl (Lucy had been on Juvia's bad side for quite some time). Still, he always seemed to be there if another man, especially Lyon, tried to get Juvia's attention.

"Gray, you took your shirt off." At this he looked down, cursing again at the bareness of his chest.

"How did that happen again?" The people that Lucy hung out with…

Gray could strip in front of a whole crowd, but wouldn't allow himself to feel anything for Juvia. Levy was one of the smartest people she knew, and couldn't realize Gajeel was crazy for her. And Erza with her childhood romance Jellal…Well that was just a whole bag of insanity. As she watched Gray re-button his shirt, Lucy could only wonder why it was so difficult for anyone in her group to admit liking someone of the opposite sex. Really, how hard could it be?

"I'm sorry Gray, I couldn't help myself," She apologized. He let out a slow sigh, as if expelling any anger he felt toward her.

"It's not your fault. I should let Juvia date who she pleases without interruption from me. Even if it is with that bastard." From his choice of words, Lucy had a feeling that wasn't going to happen any time soon. "So, you figure out your 'problem'?"

"Not really," she answered, starting to work on her own sculpture. It wasn't nearly as pretty as Gray's, but it was pleasing to her. "You know that weird art class I'm taking?"

"The controversial one, you mean?" She nodded, skimming her fingers through the wet clay.

"We have a new assignment, and I'm not really sure how I'm going to complete it."

"Can I help?" She went to laugh at his suggestion, only to stop when she saw three of his buttons undone yet again. The bare skin reminded her of the project at hand. She finally looked back to his face, which showed his confusion from her lack of response. Gray Fullbuster was extremely handsome, and she had known him almost as long as Natsu. He was one of her best friends, and she couldn't deny that she was passionate about their friendship. Maybe not as much as Natsu, but that was comparing apples to oranges. The one thing he did have over Natsu was the fact that she had seen more of his body on a regular basis. Since Gray had the tendency to strip without notice, his body was not foreign territory to her.

"You might be able to, actually. How would you feel about modeling for me so I could draw you?" Gray blinked, then smirked and leaned closer to her.

"Any particular reason you are asking me? Besides the fact I'm your hottest friend?"

"Well, it's kind of up your ally." Lucy tried to say it as pleasantly as possible, not wanting to upset her hopeful model. He didn't seem to buy her sweet explanation, and Lucy knew she was going to have to lay it all out on the line. "I need to do a nude sketch of someone who I consider attractive. It has to be someone I have a connection with, and since I've been friends with you for so long…"

"You want to draw me naked?" The way Gray said it made Lucy blush and shake her head.

"It's not like I chose this project! But yes, I want to use you as my model. If you're okay with it, that is."

"Did you ask Natsu?" What kind of question was that? Lucy asked Gray to be her naked model, and all the guy can think about was her best friend? Why would he care who she drew?

"I didn't think I had to. It's not like I'm sleeping with you or something; it's simply an art project." Not that she'd have to ask Natsu to sleep with him either. It wasn't like he asked her to sleep with that girl sophomore year. She scowled at the memory, the feeling of bitterness biting at the edge of her heart. She still wasn't completely over that? Why did it still hurt so much?

"I would be glad to help you Lucy. Just…do me a favor and ask the hot head about it. As much as I enjoy to piss off Natsu, this kind of feels like a sneak attack on my part."

"A sneak attack? Why are you so concerned about Natsu? Is there something you're not telling me? Like, you two are dating or something?" At the accusation, Gray scrunched his nose and shook his messy hair quickly.

"Trust me, I'd rather stay celibate for the rest of my life than have sex with that guy. Just…" Lucy knew Gray was taking time to correctly word his sentence. Gray was sensible, and never just blurted out what was on his mind. Still, this was a little much even for Gray. "It's his apartment too, and I think he'd want to know if another guy was getting naked in it. So ask him, and as long as he's okay with it, I'm all yours."

"Oh you're right! It would be weird for him to walk in on that without talking to him." Lucy nodded at Gray's explanation, realizing that it wasn't quite fair to Natsu. They shared the apartment together. Dragging some naked guy into his living room without permission would be kind of rude, even if it was Gray. How would she feel if Natsu brought a girl home to pose naked for him? Once again, a sharp pain nibbled on her heart, implying she didn't like the idea. At all. After Lucy agreed to Gray's simple request, the two carried on a normal conversation throughout the rest of the class. She occasionally would slip in a joke about Juvia, just to see him struggle to keep the blush off his face. He sure was something different. Any other guy would be thrilled to have a beautiful girl like Juvia devoted to only them. Something strong held Gray back from diving into the water with the love-struck girl.

But what was it?

"Lucy, are you home?" Lucy yanked a shirt over her bra, answering her roommate's call once her head was through the hole.

"In my room, Natsu!" She had just secured the top over her belly button when Natsu broke in, not bothering to knock or ask her state of dress.

"Yo, what are you doing tonight?" Natsu leaned against her doorway, watching her while she yanked her black boots up her legs. Once zipped, she moved over to her mirror and started to comb her hair.

"As if you don't know." She glanced at him through her mirror, rolling her eyes at the mischievous grin sent her way. "It is Tuesday, you know."

"Was just checking to make sure you didn't forget us." He made his way to her bed, wasting no time jumping onto the soft surface. Lucy scoffed, wondering how her roommate could think she'd ever forget about Tuesday Trivia at the bar. Natsu had come home completely beaten by a particularly tough Tuesday Junior year, and Lucy had offered to take Natsu out for some food to de-stress him. While there, the two were asked to participate in a trivia game that Natsu couldn't refuse. The two had so much fun, that they decided to go every week to relieve any stress in their lives. It wasn't long that the roommates were joined by Erza and Gray, despite Natsu complaining about the latter. 'Team Natsu' had made it mandatory to be in attendance every Tuesday ever since.

The only exception had been when Lucy had fallen ill. Natsu had convinced her to stay out in the snow with him, forgetting her immune system was practically non-existent. Still she stayed, knowing it made her best friend happy. Realizing he was the cause of her sickness, Natsu resolved the issue by bringing the trivia to her. The three healthy teammates had come over with a board version of trivia, and continued the tradition in their living room.

"You think we're going to win this time?" Lucy asked, fixing her hair into a side ponytail.

"So long as Gray doesn't suck." At the mention of their mutual friend, Lucy remembered the promise she had made to her fellow artist. Putting the brush to the side, Lucy turned around and leaned back against her dresser.

"Speaking of him, I have a question to ask you."

"About that idiot?" Natsu pushed himself up into a sitting position, instantly following Lucy with his eyes. Without warning Lucy felt herself shiver, a reaction she noticed she got whenever Natsu's attention was directed to her. Normally the ball of energy never focused on one person for long, but it was moments like these that confused Lucy's heart enough to skip a beat. "So what do you need to know?"

"Well, I meant to tell you about this yesterday before you almost caught our apartment on fire. I'm taking a class that's meant to push the boundaries of our skill and give us insight onto our own style of art. This week, I need to uh…" Lucy trailed off, not sure how she was going to explain it to Natsu. If he noticed her hesitation he didn't show it, simply continuing to watch her silently. She swallowed the lump in her throat and pressed on. "I need to use Gray for one of my drawings."

"Well that's a waste of paper. Who the heck would want a picture of Gray?" Lucy could name quite a few girls who wouldn't mind. Still, Natsu wouldn't believe her even if she said that. To him, Gray was nothing but a pain in the ass. "And why Gray, anyways? Why not Levy or Erza?"

"It's…well I…"Lucy fumbled over her words, wondering just why it was so hard to explain this to Natsu. He was just her roommate! She had told Levy, Juvia, and even Erza with no sweat. Even Gray was a breeze. So why couldn't she just tell Natsu what her assignment was?

"Spit it out, Luce. We're going to be late for trivia, and you know how Erza is with time mana-"

"Na-Naked!" Lucy shouted, stopping whatever it was Natsu was complaining about. The two stared at each other, one confused and one embarrassed beyond belief.

"You want to be naked?"

"No! I…I need to draw Gray…" When she realized Natsu wasn't putting two and two together, she smacked her forehead and groaned. Maybe he _was _as dense as he had been in high school. "I need to do a naked sketch of Gray for my class Monday."

"…What?" Lucy yelped when the hand on her forehead was quickly yanked forwards, bringing Lucy straight into Natsu. When had he stood up? She looked up for a moment, her eyes widening when she saw an unidentifiable look in his eye. "Why the hell would you want to draw the stripper naked? Don't you see all his junk enough?"

"I don't want to draw him! You're not listening to me at all," She said, trying to shove herself away from him. She didn't make it too far, Natsu still having a secure grip on her hand.

"Then explain it better!" Natsu said, not taking the situation at all like Lucy expected.

"Professor Mira said I needed to draw someone in the nude that I knew. And it couldn't just be anyone; she is looking for someone I feel strongly about. Passionately about. I just kind of figured that Gray was my best bet. He's okay with nudity, I've known him the longest and—"

"But you haven't." The sudden change in Natsu's voice was eerie to Lucy. She made eye contact again, almost wincing at the obvious anger that lay there. "I've known you longer than him. And we're closer too!"

"O-Of course, you're my best friend you idiot!" Lucy replied, getting angry at Natsu for even thinking she doubted their friendship. Didn't he get that he meant more to her than anyone else?

"So why the heck did you choose Gray? I mean, your perverted teacher wants to see you draw passion or whatever, not some guy with a stripper's complex. If its connection she wants, you should draw me!"

"You…you _want _me to draw you?"

"Yeah!"

"You'll be my model, even if you have to be naked?" Lucy asked, cursing herself for blushing again. This conversation was not going down the path she had expected. Natsu, finally seeming to understand what they were really fighting about, awkwardly looked away. The question hung in the air, unable to disperse until her pink-haired roommate answered it.

"Yeah... I mean, that's what a best friend is for. To help you out with school and stuff, right? And you want a good grade, which you won't if you draw someone ugly like Gray. If you want your perverted teacher to drool, I'm the best guy for the job!" The insecure Natsu that had momentarily appeared before Lucy vanished, Natsu's cheeky smile showing he accepted the challenge Lucy unknowingly laid out for him.

"This isn't a contest you know," Lucy mumbled, trying to rub out her blush with her free hand. The other one was still held captive in Natsu's grip, which didn't help her embarrassment much.

"But you want to be the best artist you can, right?" She stopped her movement, looking up at Natsu before slowly nodding. "Then you don't need Gray's help. I'm your best friend, so I should be the one you draw. I'll support you any way I can, because you're important to me too, Lucy."

"Natsu…" Lucy's smile brightened the room as she launched herself at Natsu, knocking him back onto the bed. He let out a strangled yelp, but Lucy only laughed as she held onto him tighter. She knew she wasn't hurting him, despite his groans of how heavy she was. It was only when Natsu reminded her about Erza's time obsession that Lucy finally let him get up, continuing to smile. Though she was confused as to why Natsu had been so angry at first, it felt nice to know he would do anything to encourage her to succeed. She didn't know a single other person (excluding Gray and his stripping obsession) who would be willing to get naked for the sake of her grade.

"Are you ready to go kick some ass, team Natsu style?" Lucy giggled at Natsu's thumbs up, letting him pull her toward the door. She glanced down at their hands, wondering just when it was she had threaded their fingers together. Too scared to ask in case the dense boy didn't notice, Lucy let her best friend yank her out of their apartment and toward the bar.

Three days had passed since Natsu had agreed to be Lucy's model for her art project. Despite her normal need to get her work done several days in advance, Lucy had tried to put the project in the back of her head. When explaining to Levy about Natsu's outburst, she didn't seem surprised.

"_Natsu," she said casually "has always been protective of you with men. You really thought he was going to let another man be naked around you? He'd rather eat fire than see you and Gray together that intimately."_

The statement had gotten Lucy thinking again. Was what Levy said really true? Lucy knew that Natsu was very critical of the guys she dated, though normally it was because he could sense their true colors before she did. Him and Loke had been friends in high school, but Natsu never liked the way the playboy talked to Lucy. And he had the right to be protective; he was her best friend. She sure as hell wouldn't let any girl play around with Natsu's heart if she could help it.

But it was the second part of Levy's statement that had her concerned. When she had asked Gray to pose for her, she hadn't thought about it as intimate. Yeah, she did have strong feelings for Gray that would have made it possible to do a good piece of art. But not one of those emotions bordered the idea of intimate. If it did, Juvia would have surely had her head (the girl almost pulled her hair out when finding out who Lucy asked first). Now, having Natsu as her model made her think of things more…personally. It was good for the project, and she was sure she could get exactly what Mira was looking for by drawing Natsu. But for her heart?

That was a completely different story.

"Are you sure you want to come with us tonight?" Lucy fixed her belt around her waist, spinning once in her tan skirt to make sure it didn't show too much. She smoothed out the sexy black shirt she wore before turning back to Erza and smiling.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?" The older girl remained quiet, walking over to the apartment window to look out at the campus. Lucy's room had an amazing view of their university, which it made it worth every penny her and Natsu spent on it. Lucy looked over Erza, silently admiring the beauty of her friend. Erza Scarlet was gorgeous, and could have any man that she wanted. She was intelligent and strong, and thought coolly under any situation she was given. Like Natsu, Lucy knew that her friend was destined for a great future. The only true weakness that Erza had was her inability to let go of her guilty past. She never really spoken about her life before meeting Natsu and the others, but Lucy knew she was an orphan by the time she got to the Fairy Tail safe haven.

In fact, Erza had only just recently re-connected with a boy from her dark past. Seeming to bear the same cruxes as Erza, Jellal Fernandez appeared in Erza's life just two years ago. Fate had crossed their paths in a military history class during Jellal's senior year, which had really shaken Erza more than she wanted to admit. It was one of the only times Lucy had to hold Erza while she cried out her pain that night. Seeing how badly he hurt her, Jellal tried to avoid the red head at any costs, even risking failing the class to make her life easier. Erza, however, would never let him fail because of her. In true warrior fashion, Erza broke into the men's dormitory, grabbed the self-loathing man, and forced him back into the classroom he had all but given up on. The two worked together to pass the grueling class, and Erza was sure she'd never see the boy again after graduation. It was a hard pill to swallow for the normally tough girl.

Erza's surprised blush when seeing Jellal on her doorstep the next day was something Natsu swore he'd never let her live down. Two years later, the two were still hashing out their shadowy pasts while trying to work on some sort of relationship.

Erza had showed up at Lucy's apartment a mess, quickly booting Natsu out in order to beg Lucy for help getting ready. Jellal had asked if he could spend the night at Erza's apartment. It was a big step anyone with a brain could recognize (Natsu, of course, couldn't understand the girl's panic). Lucy was happy to see her friend's romance making progress, so she agreed to help the hopeless girl choose what outfit and hairstyle to wear for the big night. Now, the stunner was wearing a beautiful white dress, her hair pulled up to not distract from the make-up Lucy had put on her.

"I feel like I dragged you into this. I'm such a horrible friend," Erza said, placing her hand on the wall as her eyes clenched in unseen pain. Lucy awkwardly laughed, not really sure why Erza was being so hard on herself. Then again, it was her personality to take every burden of her friends onto her own shoulders.

"It's okay, really! I haven't gotten 'dolled' up in a really long time, never mind for a party. Plus, we're friends, right? I know you'd do the same for me," Lucy said, smiling at her upset friend. Quickly she was engulfed in a hug that she was sure was going to break her ribs. Yup, Erza was a character.

"Thank you for everything, Lucy. If you ever need a favor, I'm here for you." Lucy wanted to cash in her favor to save her bones from snapping, but Erza thankfully released her from her grasp. Lucy blinked when Erza placed her hands on her shoulders, Lucy looking up at the serious face of her friend. "But since you say I'm not forcing you to go to this party, why are you going? Not to be nosy, but you normally spend your Friday nights at home with Natsu, don't you?"

"Oh! That…well, uh…" Lucy looked to the side in unease, knowing that what Erza said was true. She hadn't planned on breaking her normal Friday habits, honestly. She had already picked out a movie for the two of them to watch together. Her mind was quickly changed when Natsu suggested working on the project that night. In fact, this was the third time he had offered his free time to her that week. But like the two times before that, Lucy felt her entire body freeze up at the idea of doing the drawing yet. She just wasn't…_ready. _She knew her skill was there, and that Natsu's willingness to work with her was probably a plus in her situation. Lucy just couldn't stop the excuses from coming out of her mouth when he asked about it. This time, he actually seemed bothered by her excuse of promising Loke to go to Gray's party that night. It was a complete lie, and she hated seeing the hurt expression Natsu gave her. He quickly hid it, making her promise to hang out with him at the party before he went off to get ready. Lucy wanted to tell him the truth, but Erza came in soon after. She hadn't seen Natsu for hours.

"Are you having Natsu problems?" Lucy's mouth dropped open at Erza's question, which gave the red head all she needed to continue. "If this art project is going to be too intimate for you two, you could still ask Gray."

"No way! Me and Natsu can handle a silly picture, no problem. And why do people keep saying we're 'intimate'? Natsu wouldn't know what that word meant if I imprinted it onto his forehead," Lucy said, laughing at her own joke. Once her laughter died down, Lucy felt her eyes close partly while she placed the hand Natsu had held over her heart. "And Natsu would be really hurt if I didn't draw him. He seemed bothered when I told him I had asked Gray instead."

"You are a good person, Lucy Heartfillia." The two girls exchanged smiles, enjoying the moment of peace. It was short lived when the two heard arguing in the hallway, each giving the other confused looks before Lucy realized something important.

"I told Levy and Gajeel to meet us here! I totally forgot about them!" Grabbing her purse, Lucy ran out of the room. She opened her front door just in time to see an upset Levy smacking Gajeel across the face. She gasped in shock, mirroring the look that Gajeel had as he stared at the tiny girl in front of him.

"Gajeel you are such a jerk; I never want to see your face again!" Without warning the girl ran down the hallway and out of site, ignoring Lucy's calling of her name. Worried over her best friend, Lucy turned her glare to the tall man who was still scowling in the direction their mutual friend had gone.

"What did you say to her now?!" When the man didn't acknowledge her, Lucy shoved his chest hard to get his attention. He stumbled back a bit, finally turning his angry expression to Lucy. "Answer me!"

"Don't put your hands on me, bunny girl." Lucy ignored his threat, knowing full well the guy wouldn't lay a hand on her. If he did, Natsu would have no problem going after him.

"What did you do to Levy, Gajeel?" This time it was Erza who spoke, coming to stand next to the pissed off blonde. Gajeel turned his attention to Erza, seeming to lose some of the edge he had before. Though he was bigger, Erza was not a woman that any person wanted to mess with willingly.

"I didn't do anything to her. She made some stupid comment about being excited to dance tonight, and I just asked the shrimp who would ever want to dance with her. Then she got all huffy and started to yell at me. Then I got slapped. Like I said, I did nothing wrong."

"Except be the biggest idiot in the entire world," Lucy said, rubbing her temple and ignoring the shouting from the guy in front of her.

"You live with Natsu and you're going to say I'm the idiot?! The kid has more holes in his brain than Swiss cheese!"

"Yeah but he takes care of me and makes sure that I'm happy no matter what happens. And sure he can be an idiot, but he never calls me names or tried to embarrass me in front of all of my peers! At least he doesn't make me cry!" She shouted, shutting Gajeel up instantly. Her angry tirade was halted when she noticed the downcast stare Gajeel was giving the floor. Normally, he would just tell her to shut up or walk away from her when she started to lecture him. This time, he was completely stationary and quiet.

"Did I…really make the shrimp cry?" This was a side of Gajeel Lucy was sure most people didn't see. It caught her off guard, and suddenly a slight pinch of guilt hit her side.

"All she ever wants to do is impress you. Levy is a hard worker who gets praised by everyone around her, but all she seeks out is your approval. You may mean well, but you never compliment her or tell her how you feel. It can be damaging for someone like Levy, especially since she'd never ask you for the truth," Erza explained, seeming to understand Gajeel's emotional turmoil better than Lucy.

"Why does she care so much what I think? My opinion shouldn't matter after all the trouble I caused for her. Stupid girl, forgiving people too easily..." Lucy realized that the unreadable emotion Gajeel was showing was remorse. He still felt bad for the trouble he caused her best friend all those years ago. She knew Levy was over it, Levy had told her many times she had already forgiven Gajeel for the embarrassing situation. But, from the way he was talking right now, it was obvious that Gajeel hadn't forgiven himself.

"You really like Levy, don't you?" Lucy's soft question had the big man on quick defense, taking a few steps back from the two women.

"Don't be putting your words in my mouth, bunny girl!" Still, the faint blush on his face made the two girls look at each other knowingly. Guys like Gajeel were hard to break, but once you cracked the code, it was an easy read.

"How about the three of us head to the party? Levy will be sure to end up there, and then you two can make up." Erza took a step closer to Gajeel, a menacing aura quickly surrounding her. "And you will make up with her by the end of the night, right?"

"Y-Yeah, whatever." Though he tried to play off Erza's threat, it was easy to see how unnerved he became. Lucy nervously laughed and put her arm around Erza's shoulder, attempting to calm down the fiery girl.

"If you hurt him, you'll smudge your make-up before Jellal even gets to see you!" Erza instantly froze, Lucy inadvertently reminding the girl of her nerves. Trying to calm both parties down, Lucy put her hands up in defeat with a smile. "Let's just focus on getting to the party, okay?"

"Sure, yeah. The party, how could I forget…" Erza's voice was zombified as Lucy led her down the hallway and toward the apartment two floors down. Gray was lucky enough to get one of the bigger apartments with Lyon, which seemed to cause more problems than good. Lucy couldn't remember how many times she had heard the two of them fighting in the middle of the night. More often than not it was over a certain blue-haired girl. Tonight, Lucy could only pray that the two could play nice. Adding Natsu and Gajeel into the mix almost promised her otherwise.

Oh, how right she was.

**And the plot thickens! A little fluff for the NaLu fans, with a couple other pairings in the mix. I promise that things will really start to heat up in the next chapter. So! What will happen at the party? How will Lucy drag everyone into her mess? Will feelings be uncovered? And who else thinks adding those four boys into ANY situation just screams disaster? Find out in the next chapter!**

**Chapter Three: The Beer Pong-Breakdown-Breakthrough **


	3. The Beer Pong-Breakdown-Breakthrough

**Hello everyone! I'm happy that people seem to enjoy the story so far. I was really nervous after the first chapter, but I'm slowly feeling better after this one. Thank you for the encouraging words from those who reviewed, it makes me want to finish this story even more! So let's get to it =)**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Fairy Tail, don't you think Lucy and Natsu would be cannon already?**

**Warning: Things are getting a little spicy now! –wink wink- **

**Chapter Three: The Beepong-Breakdown-Breakthrough**

"Lucy! Erza! Gajeel! Juvia is so happy to see you all." Lucy smiled brightly at her excited friend, who had also prettied up for the party. Her hair was flared out, and she wore a blue cropped top with tight jeans that appreciated every curve she owned. With Juvia's heels increasing her height, Lucy had to look up to meet Juvia's gaze.

"Juvia, you look amazing," Erza said. Juvia blushed and shyly looked away, never seeming to deal well with compliments.

"Juvia is thankful that her friends could make it to Gray and Lyon's party. Juvia hopes everything is to your liking." From the layout of intricate appetizers, it was obvious that Juvia had helped out. Otherwise, Lucy would have expected to see a bag of chips and some salsa. If they were lucky.

"I think you may have gone a little overboard, woman," Gajeel said, already stuffing his face with a plate full of food. The three girls just stared, none exactly sure what to think of the comedic scene.

"So uh…have the others showed up yet?" Lucy asked, trying to pull her gaze from Gajeel's unnatural eating habits.

"Juvia has seen Natsu, if that's what you're asking." Erza hid her laughter behind her hand as Lucy's face burned red in embarrassment.

"I didn't just say him Juvia! I have other friends you know!"

"Loke and Aries are here as well, and a few of Gray's friends from school. However, Juvia expected to see Levy in your group." Instantly Gajeel's aura changed at the mention of the bookworm. The black cloud that now rained on his head was almost visible. Erza quickly tried to reconcile the guy while Lucy quietly explained to Juvia the situation. It was followed by several apologies from Juvia, which didn't seem to affect the gloomy giant. Knowing that she only had one option, Lucy decided to give Gajeel something to distract himself with.

"You know, Natsu said something about kicking your ass in beer pong." Within a second Gajeel was up, quickly searching the room for the man in question.

"That little punk's got another thing coming if he thinks he'll beat me!" Lucy smiled at hearing the spark back in Gajeel's voice, though quickly regretted it when he grabbed the back of her shirt and dragged her throughout the apartment. "We'll find your little sidekick so you can watch me crush his dreams!"

"I'm not his sidekick, and stop dragging me without my consent! What am I, your hostage?" In truth, she was hoping to stay away from Natsu for as much of the party as she could. Though it bothered her that Natsu hadn't even attempted to text her, Lucy tried to ignore the feeling while dealing with her friends' problems. Lucy gave up trying to get out of Gajeel's iron grip, watching the interesting pattern her heels made along Gray's rug.

"Yo, Natsu!" Lucy looked up from her observation, realizing that she had been dragged out into the kitchen. It was much more spacious than her apartment, making her envious that Gray could cook as freely as he wanted. Then again, he seemed as motivated as Natsu when it came to home economics.

"What do you want now, Gajeel?" Natsu turned from his conversation with Gray to face Gajeel, pausing when he noticed Lucy beside him. He stared for a few long moments at her before he spoke. "…W-Why are you hanging out with this guy?"

"It's not like I wanted to you know! He's kind of got a hold on the back of my shirt." As it was, Lucy felt like her chest was about to pop out of the v-neck design of her top. Some party guests glanced at her, and she knew some were hoping they'd get a free show. Yanking the material up, she glared to Gajeel for the second time that night. "Can you let me go now?"

"Shut up, would you?" Lucy yelped when she felt herself roughly tossed across the kitchen. She was sure she was going to end up on her ass, but Natsu was quick to catch her against his chest. Thankful for Natsu's quick reaction time, she smiled slightly at the feel of his arm wrapped securely around her waist.

"Someone needs to let us know when Gajeel is PMSing. You okay, Luce?" She nodded at his question, though his eyes never strayed from the steel-like connection he had with Gajeel. "You got a reason to be bugging me, or did you come to see what a real guy looks like?"

"Hardly. A little bunny told me you think you can kick my ass in beer pong. That's a lot of talk from someone weak like you."

"What did you just say?!" Fire almost sprouted from Natsu's mouth as he growled at his opponent, instantly feeding off the challenging aura. If there was one thing Natsu loved, it was a good contest. And who better to fight than someone who enjoyed the idea of competing just as much as he did?

"You got wax in your ears, or do I need to repeat myself?"

"I'm going to crush you in this! Lucy, you're going to need a drink before we kick this guy's ass."

"M-Me?" She looked up at Natsu, who was grinning from ear to ear while holding out his hand. She wanted to say no, knowing she should stay far away from him while her feelings were still so jumbled from Levy's comment. Adding alcohol to the equation probably would make it worse. Despite the warnings in her head, she felt her resistance disappear at the trusting look Natsu gave her. He really did enjoy being around her, no matter who else was in the room. It was rare for a boy to think like that. Looking to the now partnered up Gajeel and Gray (who always liked to try and beat Natsu at anything he could), she realized that Natsu could have asked Loke or Lyon to partner up with him. Hell, even Erza would have been better than Lucy.

"Of course you! When we're a team, nobody can beat us." But Natsu, in typical fashion, thought of only her first. It warmed her heart in a way she desperately tried to ignore. Instead, Lucy gave a short nod and grabbed Natsu's extended hand.

"Right!"

"Let's crush these clowns. I'm getting fired up now," Natsu said, turning his attention back to his two "opponents".

"Last time you got 'fired up', you broke my kitchen table with your fists," Gray replied, seeming uneasy with Natsu's catch phrase.

"I got you another one didn't I?"

"That's not the point you idiot."

"You wanna go stripper?!" In an instant the two's foreheads were pressed together, glaring so much Lucy was afraid a brawl was about to break out. Instead, Gajeel yanked his partner back while sending Natsu a less-than-impressed once over.

"Don't let the kid get in your head, he's just trying to psych you out." Steam billowed out of Natsu's ear at the 'kid' comment, but Lucy pulled him back before he could jump over the table. Once settled, the four squared off on opposite sides of the battle field.

"Rules of the table." Gray's house meant Gray's rules, and so Lucy waited patiently for her host to explain his version of beer pong. He looked between herself and Natsu, seeming to calculate something before speaking. "I sink a shot, Lucy drinks. If Gajeel gets one it, Natsu has to drink. Vice versa. If we sink two in a row, we get balls back and you both take a drink. One re-rack allowed, and bounce throws can be deflected by the opponent. You spill a cup, you take a shot automatically. First team to get all ten cups out wins one round. It's best two out of three, so Natsu can't bitch about lucky throws. Any questions?"

"Why does Lucy have to drink when you sink a cup?" Lucy looked over to her concerned partner, who seemed to know something about Gray's skill that she didn't. Gray took a moment to think before he smirked and twirled the pong ball between his talented fingers.

"I always take care of a woman after getting it in." Instantly Lucy's mouth dropped, hearing the obvious double entendre in his tone. Gray was a man, but it was rare to hear him say something so dirty. Gajeel snickered at his partner, and a few whistles from the small forming crowd showed their appreciation. She half-expected Natsu to miss the pun, but she jumped when his fist connected with the table in front of them. The legs creaked in protest, but luckily the table stayed up.

"Talk like that about Lucy again and I'll rip your tongue out." The serious tone in Natsu's voice was something nobody at the table was used to hearing. Even Lucy, who had lived with him for years, rarely heard such a somber note with a threatening glare. Where normally Gray would come up with a sly comeback, the brunette was deadly silent. Feeling a sudden tension in the air, Lucy placed her hand on Natsu's arm and soothingly rubbed the muscle beneath. He peeked over to her from the corner of his eye, but the death aura around him had yet to subside. Taking a slow breath, Lucy sent him the best smile she could.

"We're going to beat them, right? Let them talk; it's all they're good at." She squeezed his arm gently, which finally seemed to snap Natsu out of his murderous gaze. She felt his arm relax, and it was only then she realized Natsu had tensed his entire body. Was he really planning on fighting Gray over that comment? Lucy felt relieved that her words got to him before he hurt someone. Natsu let his eyelids drop half-way while he gave her a smug smile. It was enough to enact another blush from her.

"Thanks, Lucy." The way he said her name shouldn't have left her as breathless as she was. Were Levy's words really affecting her this much? Or was it something else completely? She looked down at the drink that Cana was handing her, wasting no time in taking a huge swig from it.

The four's unintentional performance had attracted most of the party's attention, and a circle formed as the game begun. At first, it was pretty hard for Lucy to see how they could ever win. The first game had been a blowout, Gray and Gajeel way more competition than Lucy had predicted. Natsu was really skilled, sinking in a good amount of shots he made. Gajeel had been great in the first game, but halfway through the second round he caught sight of Levy in the crowd. Lucy could only assume his need to talk to her made his game waver. Lucy was holding up much better than she expected, and the two of them had pulled out a win the second round. Gray made the whole thing look like child's play. It was making Lucy regret letting Cana mix her drink. She was still functional enough to toss the ball into the cups, but occasionally she'd catch her gaze lingering on Natsu a little too long. Really, the black button up he wore did more for his tone body than Lucy had first realized. And remembering what his muscles felt like under her hand were making her fingers twitch. It became even worse when Natsu rolled his sleeves up and popped open two buttons of his shirt, showing off the tan flesh underneath. Even though Gray had lost his shirt long ago, Lucy couldn't keep her eyes away from the tiny tease of Natsu's chest. She got to draw this guy naked? Guess she really was lucky Lucy.

"Are you going to shoot, bunny girl?" Glaring as best as she could while inebriated, Lucy stuck her tongue out at Gajeel before looking back to the swaying cup. She knew there was only one left, but her eyes kept telling her there were three. She swallowed a bit, blinking several times to try and ignore the strong whisky Cana had finished her third drink off with. No wonder Natsu called the girl an alcoholic! This drink could knock out a whale in no time. How Lucy was even still standing and not throwing up was amazing to her.

"Focus Luce, you can do this." The soft voice near her ear made her close her eyes, ignoring the twinge of heat in her body. She knew he was being supportive, but Natsu was doing more harm than good. She opened her mouth to tell him, but the last sober part of her quickly told her to can it. Forcing her eyes to open again, Lucy aimed her shot the best she could with so many distractions around her. Finally admitting she was going in blind, Lucy prayed to whatever celestial being was watching before tossing the pong ball somewhere in the vicinity of the cup. As soon as the ball left her fingers, Lucy closed her eyes and clasped both hands together. She winced at the sound of the ball hitting a cup, though she wasn't quite sure which one.

"Holy shit." Gray's voice hit her ears a second before Lucy felt herself lifted straight off the ground and into the warmest embrace she had ever felt. Gasping in shock, she opened her eyes to see a laughing Natsu lifting her over his head. Her alcohol infused brain took several seconds to process what happened, even when her friends started to cheer her name in the crowd.

"I got it in?" Her voice was slurred, but it got through to the grinning guy underneath her.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from my teammate, even if you are shit-faced," Natsu said, making Lucy look away in embarrassment. Really, he had too much confidence in her. He finally dropped her back to her feet, but kept his hands on her waist as he started to talk smack about the two across the table. Lucy couldn't make out what they were saying, her fogged brain convincing her that swaying was more important. She felt a heat press into her back, guiding her to rest her head on Natsu's chest. Her ear laid against his heart, Lucy smiling slightly at how soothing the accelerated beat was to her. She knew he got riled up gloating to the guys, but it was different to actually _feel _it. Her fingers played with the open flap of his shirt, accidentally brushing the bare skin underneath. She felt him pause in his argument with Gray, but she refused to look back up at him.

"Lucy!" She heard her name called, but her head was too comfortable to lift up. She looked around slowly, realizing it was Levy running over to her.

"Leeeeevy…" She replied, hiccupping before she felt herself giggling.

"Are you going to be okay? You look kind of out of it." That was the understatement of the party. Lucy smiled and tried to pull away from Natsu, but her legs decided to stop supporting her. Lucy's knees buckled, and she was thankful Natsu was conscious enough to catch her.

"Woah! Guess Cana really did a number on you, huh Luce?"

"I'll go get her something to eat, and a glass of water too," Levy said, quickly moving to where the party platters were.

"Let's get you in a seat so we can sober you up." Lucy felt herself being lifted up, but she made no movement to fight it. Her body was cradled carefully, and Lucy sighed as the hot breath of Natsu hit her exposed skin. Really, was this guy made of fire? Her hands were scrunched up in Natsu's shirt, almost tearing the material as she turned her head toward the other side of the table. When she caught sight of a mane of black hair, Lucy lifted her head.

"Yo! Ga-Gajeel!" The man in question paused in his cleaning of the table to look at her. "Lug-nut!"

"Hey! Stop moving!" Natsu's order was ignored as she squirmed, and he groaned before sitting on the chair with her on his lap. She must have looked as drunk as she felt, because both Gajeel and Gray started to snicker in her direction. Keeping one hand locked in the fabric of Nastu's shirt, Lucy pointed toward her bookworm friend who was now carrying water and a plate of food.

"Come say sooooorry to Levy!"

"What are you talking about? I ain't saying nothing to that shrimp." Anger switched places with the alcohol in her blood, and Lucy could almost feel it boiling within her. What was with these men?

"But you love her! If you…love her so much, why…why you calling her shrimp? She….she AIN'T f-food! She's a wooooman with neeeeeeds!"

"Lu-Lucy…" Lucy looked over to Levy, her eyes brightening.

"Levy! Le-vy Le-vy Le-vy! You wanna hear your name, right? But that…that…uh…what was I…" Lucy swayed on Natsu's lap before clapping her hands together. "That MAN won't call you nothing but shrimp! I'd kick his ass if you didn't like him so much…and you!" Now that her first targets were both speechless, Lucy shifted her attention to Gray's amused face.

"What about me?" Gray teased, seeming to enjoy the show Lucy was putting on.

"Ju-Juvia SHOULD date Lyooooon. He's at…at least interested in…in kissing her!"

"…Excuse me?" Gray's eye twitched at the information, a part of his cool composure cracking as he scanned the party. Lucy frowned as she squirmed on Natsu's lap, trying to get back out into the crowd. They looked like they were having so much fun! And yet she was stuck with two blushing fools, an overly calm host, and a suddenly silent roommate. "And how do you know that, oh wise one?"

"She told me silly goose! Last weeeeek when…when you ignored her offer…ya know, for dinner? Lyon scooped her up! And tried to give herrrrr a smooch!" When her anger had turned into the giggles, she didn't know. But for now, she couldn't stop herself from laughing even as she let information out she probably shouldn't. A drunk Lucy was an overly honest Lucy.

"Is Lucy okay?" Lucy looked up at her name, smiling brightly at the two newcomers.

"Erza! Jellal! Hi!" She bounced in her seat like a little kid at Christmas, making Erza look over her shoulder to her "cushion".

"Do you want me to take over? You look a little out of it too." What was she talking about? She looked back over her shoulder, seeing nobody but Natsu. And Natsu didn't look out of it! Sure, he seemed a little tense, but other than that he was fine. _In more ways than one_, she thought with a giggle.

"I've got her. Levy brought her water, but she kind of dropped it when Lucy went on one of her honesty sprees. You know how she gets when she's drunk; her own matchmaker," Natsu said it so casually, despite having to grip her hips on both sides to keep her from trying to stand up. The mini conversation was cut short when Gray stepped in front of Lucy, his arms crossed.

"Lyon tried to kiss Juvia? She never told me that."

"Huh? Whatareyou—OH! That. Why would she? You…are not…uh…" Lucy stumbled over her words, laughing at herself and her stupidity. She really was drunk, huh? She looked to her red-haired friend, pointing to Jellal next to her. "What's that word you want him to be?"

"H-huh?" Not expecting the sneak attack, Erza had no defense for the blonde haired girl's question.

"You know…the thing…the thiiiiing…oh oh!" Lucy snapped her fingers, looking back to Gray. "Lover!"

"Lover?!" Lucy nodded with a smile at Gray and Erza's response before breaking out in laughter again.

"Lo-ver!" She sounded out, not understanding why they repeated her.

"Lover?" Erza's head quickly snapped over to Jellal, who was lightly blushing at Lucy's unintentional confession.

"Lover!" Natsu roared in laughter as he looked over to Gray, who quickly took a swing at Natsu's head. Natsu avoided it, grinning lecherously at Gray's angry face. "Yeah Gray, you aren't her _lover _yet. Lyon might just do her before you do."

"At least I have a girl interested in me being her lover," Gray snapped back, making Natsu's laughter falter. An annoyed twitch started in Natsu's eye, ignoring the yelp from the drunk mess in his lap as he stood up.

"Are you implying something, ice princess?" At the question, Gray smirked and took a step closer to Natsu.

"Just stating some facts that your pea brain might have overlooked." Lucy was now pressed between the two boy's chests, something most girls would appreciate. Being as drunk as she was, Lucy only whined and clutched tighter to Natsu's shirt.

"You sure like to talk big when you haven't made a single move on Juvia!"

"You're one to talk. The only girl you've fooled around with was at my party sophomore year! And you were so confused you barely knew how to take her damn bra off." Lucy's eyes widened as a familiar pain struck in her heart. Unconsciously her hands clenched tighter in Natsu's shirt, her eyes losing focus. Normal Lucy would be able to laugh off the pain and ignore it. Normal Lucy could pretend she was fine. Drunk Lucy couldn't. Like every drop of happiness was just sucked out of her, Lucy felt her stomach drop out. Why did that image make her want to cry so much? Suddenly, Lucy didn't want to be at the party anymore.

"Natsu, I don't feel—"

"You fucking bastard, bringing _that_ up. You lost at beer pong and now you're going to lose your girl to your step-brother! Little Lyons and Juvias running around the apartment, wanting to play with _uncle _Gray." At the mention of her name, Juvia lifted her head from her conversation with Lyon to watch the battle between the two hot-heads.

"I ain't losing Juvia to him you piece of shit!" Instantly Juvia swooned at the possessive tone Gray took, but Gray didn't notice as he shoved Natsu.

"Boys! You're going to hurt Lucy. Erza, do something! " Levy shouted, knowing the conversation was getting a little too out of control. The blue-haired girl looked to her friend, who was curling up into a ball in the corner of the room. "Er-Erza? W-where's Jellal?"

"Lover…" The red-head moaned, pressing her forehead into her knees in embarrassment. Levy nearly fell over at the depressed aura that surrounded Erza.

"Please get up, the boys are-!" Before Levy could finish, Natsu had shoved Lucy into Levy's arms.

"Take care of Lucy! Don't let anyone touch her!" Natsu shouted before tackling Gray onto the ground. The two wrestled on the floor, nearly knocking over the kitchen table as Natsu pinned Gray down and smirked. "So, Lyon's got no shot in hell? Then why'd he take her out on a date? Shouldn't that be your job?"

"It wasn't a date." Gray said it so calmly, it was almost impossible to catch the grimace on his face. Natsu, however, was used to looking for clues of irritation from Gray in fights.

"Dinner and a kiss? Even I get that's more than friends. Do you even know if Juvia resisted?" Natsu wasn't quick enough to miss the fist thrown at his face, making him fly across the room and hit into the wall next to Levy. The girl screamed, holding tightly to the limp girl in her arms. Natsu quickly launched himself at Gray, starting the fight back up again.

"Why is nobody stopping them? Wait, it's Natsu and Gray. Nobody but Erza can! But she's in a love coma…oh, the one time I need Gajeel's help! It's just like him to go off and pout at a time like this!" Realizing that Lucy stayed quiet during Levy's rant, Levy slid down onto the floor while supporting Lucy. "Hey, are you okay?"

"N-No…I'm n-not." The waver in her voice gave away that she was about to cry.

"Lucy!" At Levy's shout, Natsu quickly turned his attention to the girl in Levy's arms. Though he wanted to do nothing more than let some more steam out by pummeling Gray's face in, one look toward Lucy made Natsu realize she wasn't the bubbly drunk she was two minutes ago.

"Levy, what happened to her?" Natsu was quick to drop down next to the philologist, who shook her head quickly.

"I don't know; she's acting completely different than before."

"Is Lucy okay?" Even Gray had forgotten about their fight as he kneeled in front of Levy, helping the crying girl rest against his propped up knee. Gray gave Levy a nod, letting her know he could handle the situation without her.

"I'll leave the rest to you two boys. I've got to find Gajeel before he punches a hole in the wall."

"I'd appreciate my apartment staying semi intact, thank you."

"I'll do my best!" Levy left after that, and Gray sighed while rubbing his temple. Taking a moment for himself, Gray turned his focus on Lucy.

"Lucy, are you hurt?" Natsu glanced between the two of them, unsure if he should interfere. He knew Gray was closer to Lucy now than in high school, taking many of the same art electives. He was the person Lucy went to when she was confused about which color palate to use or something else Natsu was completely useless for. Some trivia nights they would debate about famous art pieces and artists, making jokes only they would understand. Gray had even admitted (on one of the rare occasions the boys actually _talked _without the girls around) that he thought Lucy could make a good wife for the right guy. Natsu agreed; he just didn't want it to be Gray. Just like he didn't want Gray to be the one comforting his roommate. Still, he kept silent, knowing Lucy came first.

She always came first to him.

"Y-Yes," Lucy blubbered out, looking up to Gray in pain. Gray nodded slightly, keeping his cool despite the mess of a girl in front of him. He had to hide a slight smile, knowing that she really wasn't physically damaged. He had dealt with Juvia, who acted emotionally drunk on a daily basis. Drunken Lucy was a walk in the park compared to her, so long as you didn't lose your cool. Natsu went psycho when the store didn't have his favorite kind of soda; he was not the person to figure out complex situations like this.

"Where?" When his blonde friend pointed to her heart, he casually glanced over to Natsu. The idiot was too busy worrying himself over Lucy to realize what she actually meant. Not that it surprised Gray. When wasn't Natsu worried about Lucy? Taking the moment of distraction between the two, Gray thought back to the night they had. After going over his and Natsu's fight, he knew exactly what it was that had hurt the girl. Something he, guiltily, said without thinking of Lucy's feelings. The problem was, Natsu couldn't figure it out, and Lucy didn't know all the facts to the 'situation'. These two were denser than he had originally thought.

"What's wrong with her heart?!" Or, at least Lucy was. Gray never really had faith in Natsu's brain power. Like now, for instance. Gray let out a long breath before patting Lucy on the head.

"I'm sorry I said something that hurt you, Lucy." Gray watched Lucy's eyes widen, a set of tears finally filling her eyes despite her attempts to blink them away. "But I promise, you're going to be okay."

"What the hell did you do to her?! I swear—"

"Natsu, I think you need to focus on getting her home. She's just had a lot of alcohol and is over thinking things. She'll be better in the morning. I've got to go find…someone." Gray stood up slowly, brushing his pants off while realizing he had yet again lost his shirt. Thinking of the girl he intended to talk to, he knew she'd appreciate the view.

"Wait a minute Gray!" Lucy heard Natsu shout Gray's name, though the other boy ignored it and left the room. She felt her lower lip quiver at Gray's words, making her heart ache. Why was all of this happening? Why did Natsu make her feel like this? Why did Levy say anything to her about them being 'intimate'? And why did Gray have to open his stupid mouth and hurt her so much? Her drunk brain was filled with unanswered questions. It was making the whole room spin.

"Come on, let's get you home." Natsu started to lead Lucy out of the apartment, but the stubborn girl pushed away from him and smashed straight into a wall. She didn't want him to help her anymore. She braced herself against the solid surface, ignoring Natsu's stunned stare before trying to feel her way to the entrance. "Lucy…"

"No! Go away Natsu!" A trickle of wetness against her cheek signified to Lucy that she was crying, something she didn't want to understand. Her knees gave out quickly, and Lucy sunk to the floor against the wall. Embarrassed, hurt, and still utterly drunk, Lucy yanked her knees to her body and hid her face in her exposed thighs. It didn't take long for someone to pick her up, and she could only assume it was her stubborn roommate.

"Don't need to show your underwear off to the whole place," He joked, though she knew the playfulness he normally possessed had disappeared from his voice. She should have known he could never leave her when she was crying. It was Natsu's biggest weakness. He had admitted that to her years ago. The warmth of his hands under her thighs was relaxing, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to secure herself from falling.

"Is she okay, Natsu?" She heard Levy's voice, which only made her bury her face deeper into his neck.

"Yeah, don't worry. She's just all worked up right now; you know how you girls get." A second later, she heard Natsu hiss in pain. "Ow Levy! What was that for?!"

"You really have nothing in your head but hot air, huh?" A gruff voice insulted Natsu.

"Shut up, Gajeel. At least I don't sulk like a baby over beer pong."

"Just everything else."

"Whatever. I'm going to bring Lucy home, so don't let this blockhead get into any trouble, alright Levy?" Lucy thought she heard the girl giggle, but it was covered by Gajeel's angry growl. She could feel Natsu's chest moving in laughter before he walked away from the two, the noise of the party easily disappearing into the night. The only thing she could hear now was Natsu jogging up the stairs. She knew it wasn't an easy task, but he carried her without complaint. Her eyes opened partially, looking up at the guy holding her. He really was amazing. How had no other girl ever seen that but Lucy? Again, the drunken part of her mind reminded her of Gray's comment, making her wince. That girl had stolen a part of Natsu that Lucy would never be able to touch.

But Lucy could get close.

Without giving it a second thought, Lucy reached up and gently cupped Natsu's cheek in her hand. He paused in his attempt to open their door, looking down at her and smiling.

"Natsu…" She whispered, her eyes closing partially.

"Are you feeling better? I really hate when you cry, ya know? The bastard said something stupid again, didn't he? I swear the next time I see him, I'm kicking Gray's ass." Natsu paused, jiggling the door to their apartment open before he continued. "Or maybe I'll just get Lyon to ask Juvia on a _real _date. That'd go right up the prick's asshole!"

"Natsu." Her voice cut through his rant. When he looked down to her, Lucy felt a swell inside of her chest. Her mind was racing a mile a minute, but the drunken part of her brain was only focused on one thing. Liquid courage coursed through her, and she pushed through any mental objections as she leaned up in Natsu's arms. She saw his eyes widen a fraction of a second before her lips brushed his, Lucy closing her eyes soon after. She pressed closer to his body, her fingers pressing into his cheek as she urged his mouth to react. And after a few stressful moments, Natsu's mouth responded with vigor. The unsuspecting guy stumbled through their now open doorway, shutting the door with Lucy's back and leaving her pressed against it. She moaned at the cold wood against her exposed shoulders before focusing on the kiss Natsu was prolonging. Why didn't she think to kiss this idiot years ago? Both hands were on his face, Lucy barely pulling away for a breath before Natsu attacked her mouth again. She wanted to tell him their position was uncomfortable with both of her legs being supported by the arm underneath them. The wood of the door chilled her leg, and she wanted to straddle his hips so she could feel his body. But the warmth that her tongue found in his mouth was heaven to her cloudy mind. It chased any thought of complaining away, especially when their tongues met to do battle. Wanting to feel any part of his body, Lucy's hand ran down his straining neck and onto the buttons of his shirt.

She felt the door shake behind her when his hand slammed into the wood, though she didn't get the meaning until Natsu was ripping his mouth away from her.

"Damnit!" With his chest heaving, Natsu pulled back as far as he could while still keeping his arm under her legs. She looked up at him in dazed confusion, still trying to find the breath he had captured from her. With a pained look on his face, Natsu slid the back of his hand against her cheek and scowled. "You're drunk." The tone he used made Lucy suddenly feel self-conscious. She wanted to deny it, that she was sober and knew exactly what was going on. She would probably say anything to get his mouth back to where it was moments before. But she knew the flush in her cheeks and the slur in her voice was giving her away.

"Yeah."

"Yeah, of course you're drunk." Natsu looked away from Lucy and pulled her back into a steady grip. Once sure she wouldn't slip, Natsu started to walk through the apartment and toward her room.

"Bu-But…"

"We need to get you to bed. I'll go get you some water and aspirin for tomorrow, cause you're going to wake up with one hell of a hangover. Hell, you'll be lucky if you even remember tonight." He sent her a cheeky smile that didn't reach his eyes. After turning on the light in her room Natsu moved toward her bed, ignoring the completely confused look on her face. "Then again, you may want to forget."

"Huh?"

"Once Erza and Gajeel get a hold of you, I mean."

She wanted to protest as he laid her on the bed, but her mouth wasn't functioning through her wave of emotions. Was this because she was drunk? Did alcohol affect your heart? She watched him leave and return with what he had promised, smiling at her when he caught her gaze. She knew he was speaking, but his words were muddled in her sleep-deprived mind. What had just happened? One second, Natsu had her against the wall kissing the daylights out of her. The next, he was tucking her into her bed like the kiss wasn't real? What was Natsu thinking? Lucy closed her eyes when she felt his rough lips placed on her forehead, Natsu's arms surrounding her for the unknown time that night. She leaned into the kiss, though she couldn't understand why it was happening. What she did know was that her mind was getting fuzzy with the sudden desire to sleep. She rolled over on her side, unconsciously wrapping her fingers around the warmth of his arm. Even if she was confused and hurt by him, his heat relaxed her. She never felt him pull away, and the gentle stroking of her hair was the last thing she felt before she passed out.

**...Yup, that just happened. Please don't kill me! –hides- Really I promise it's not as bad as it seems…okay, so it's a little bad. BUT BUT BUT, you did get a kiss. So you can't be mad! If you liked this chapter, I'd love to hear it! As well as any parts you enjoyed or even disliked. So, what will happen with the two roommates? How does everyone else's relationships fair after the party? Will they forgive Lucy for what she did? And whose idea was it to let Cana make the drinks? Then again, she does know her way around a bottle…**

**Chapter Four: A Hangover Remedy for the Heart**


	4. Hangover Remedy for the Heart

**Hello everyone! I'm so happy to see that more and more people are reading this story! I even got a few of my Naruto fans to read it –snickers-. I love everything you guys have said, so thank you so much for the support. This has two more chapters after this, so we're half-way through already! Hope you enjoy the second half as much as I did writing it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own The Notebook, The Vow, Pride and Prejudice, The Ugly Truth, or Fairy Tail…I don't own anything! –cries- **

**Warning: At some point, there will be some lemony goodness =P**

**Chapter Four: A Hangover Remedy for the Heart**

Lucy had never puked more in her entire life. She had woken up just as the sun was rising to feel her entire body screaming at her to get to the bathroom. So wrapped up in her need to not throw up on the bed, she almost missed the fact that Natsu was sound asleep next to her. She didn't have time to think about it before her body shifted and she was puking out everything she had eaten or drank in the past seven years. The sound of her crying must have woken up Natsu, because it was seconds later that she felt her back being rubbed and her hair being swept out of her face. She cried like a baby, though it did nothing to help ease the turmoil of her stomach. The whole process was disgusting and had Lucy swearing off alcohol well into the morning.

By the time she finally got her body under control, the pounding of her head promised her that this would not be a day she would be leaving the apartment. After brushing her teeth and changing into the comfiest pair of sleep pants she had, Lucy curled up in a ball on the couch in the living room. She knew she looked like death, since Natsu continued to tease her even as he got ready for work. Too sick to fight back with him, Lucy only yanked the covers closer to her face to hide from his continuous glances over to her. She tried not to look back, feeling uncomfortable with making eye contact with him. Doing so only reminded her of the events that had gone on the night before. Especially after they left the party. Did he regret kissing her? She frowned at the question, knowing that it wasn't lack of skill that would have changed his mind. Lucy had been complimented more than once on her technique. And though she knew it had been over a year since her last kiss, she doubted she would lose her form so easily. He sure seemed to enjoy it from the way he had pressed her into the door.

"I'm heading out now, Lucy!" She looked up from her pondering to see him slipping his shoes on by the door.

"Will you be late tonight?" She asked, knowing his job could keep him out past midnight. He shrugged, looking back over to her and grinning.

"If I am, I'll shoot you a text. The girls have been blowing up your phone all morning, so I'm gonna assume they'll be over soon. Girl talk and all that pointless shit." She had forgotten she left her phone in the other room. Though she was tempted to get it, the warmth of the blankets was too much to move out of.

"Or to kill me for last night," She joked, which Natsu laughed at. She nervously slid some hair behind her ear, looking down at the coffee table in front of their couch. "Hey, uh, Natsu…"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about everything last night. For the party and making you take care of me. Plus, the…" She bit her lip and stopped herself from finishing the sentence, though she was sure he knew what she was implying. When he didn't respond, she wondered just what his facial expression was. Maybe angry for bringing it up?

"Don't worry; I'm sure the girls will forgive you. It wasn't like you were lying to them or anything." But the unexpected answer made her look up to see Natsu's hands linked behind his head, staring at the ceiling. "Juvia will probably be happy with you, honestly. Maybe not Erza or Levy though."

"Yeah, but—"

"And of course I'd take care of you!" He looked down at her then, his stare once again capturing her breath. Though his smile didn't waver, there was something serious in the look he gave her. "If I didn't, someone might take advantage of the situation and do something to hurt you. And…I can't let that happen. Not to you, Luce. I wouldn't forgive myself if I let someone hurt you."

"Natsu…" What was he trying to say? She wanted to press the subject further, but she knew he had to get to work. The conversation would have to wait until he came home. She gave him a soft nod, trying to smile as cheerfully as she could. "Do your best today, okay? And don't fight with Gray."

"He starts it! Always saying he's the best bartender there is; I make way better drinks than that ass could even dream of!"

"Not if you don't get there in the next fifteen minutes," Lucy said, pointing to the clock on the wall. He swore and quickly grabbed his keys, shouting a quick 'bye' before running out the door. She smacked her forehead, knowing Natsu was bound to run over several people on his way to work. He was reckless when his mind was set on something. It was even worse when it involved Gray. Thankfully he didn't own a car, or else he'd be in jail by now. But that was just another thing Lucy loved about Natsu.

In a purely, platonic friendship kind of way. Not one that made her heart skip a beat or anything.

True to Natsu's prediction, it didn't long for a knock to come at Lucy's door. She yelled for the guests to come in, only to regret it when seeing the aura of death around Levy. Erza was quiet, but Lucy feared her more than the seething girl next to her.

"Lucy!" Well, at least one of the girls was happy to see her. With glowing hearts around her, Juvia wasted no time in embracing the still queasy girl. "Juvia owes you more than life itself!"

"What do you mean, Juvia?" Lucy asked, praying she didn't throw up on the excited girl. That would put a damper on anyone's perfect day. Ignoring the girl still glaring at her, Lucy tried to focus on Juvia's explanation.

"Juvia was speaking with Lyon at the party, when Gray pulled Juvia outside to talk. Gray said that he wanted to know if Juvia had let Lyon kiss her on our date, which Juvia did not! He then asked if Juvia was interested in Lyon at all. Juvia was so shocked to hear the anger in Gray's tone, Juvia didn't answer. Gray thought Juvia was unsure of her feelings, and Gray admitted he didn't want to lose Juvia's attention because of his personal hang-ups. Juvia said she'd only wish to be with Gray, and Gray asked Juvia on a date tonight!" The more into the story Juvia got, the higher her voice became. By the end of it, Lucy was positive the girl had run out of octaves.

"That's great Juvia; really I'm happy for you. I told you that he had a thing for you, even if it took a slight misconception for him to act upon it." Lucy smiled at her friend's instant blush, which seemed to even calm down the plotting girl in the corner. After all, how could any of them stay mad when something so important happened? Juvia finally scored her first _real _date with Gray.

"I owe Lucy thanks as well." Lucy's head snapped up to Erza, who was rubbing the back of her neck in an unusually modest fashion. "Jellal returned to my apartment that night and asked me if your statement was true. When I refused to answer, Jellal got upset and we got into an argument."

"And you're trying to thank me?" Lucy asked, awkwardly laughing when Erza nodded her head.

"You sparked a conversation that needed to be had. Jellal refused to be my l-lover for the time being." A sad smile was placed on Erza's face, which pained Lucy more than a physical punch would have. "He still hasn't gotten over the pain of our childhood, and he can't face me as a man until he battles his own demons."

"I'm so sorry Erza, really I am."

"Don't be. If there is one thing in this world I have learned, it's that fighting for something makes it twice as worth it in the end." If nothing else, Lucy wished she could be as strong as the woman in front of her. "Jellal asked me to stand by him in this fight, so that we could be together in the end. He says he sees nobody in his future besides me. That he couldn't love anyone besides me. That's enough for me to keep fighting."

"Did everyone get a happy ending besides me? Juvia gets a date, Erza gets a confession. I get Gajeel denying anything 'bunny girl' says is true AND still refuses to call me by name." Levy pouted, looking out Lucy's window in anger. Erza laughed and shook her head, catching Lucy's attention.

"But you ended up cuddled together on the couch when Jellal and I left last night. He was even spooning you. How do you call that nothing?" Levy blushed at the words, looking over to the group in exasperation.

"Because after three years of beating around the bush, I wanted fireworks! I wanted romance or an acknowledgment of feelings. Even just a tiny kiss would have been a step in the right direction!" At the mention of kissing, Lucy's smile dropped to panic. She tried to cover her reaction, but Juvia caught it.

"Are you alright Lucy?" Laughing far too loudly for anyone to believe her, Lucy quickly waved her hands in front of her.

"It-its nothing! I mean, maybe it's better if Gajeel didn't kiss you, Levy! Because what if he ch-changed his mind later on? What if he pretended it didn't ha-happen or…or…or something like that!" Knowing she was digging a hole bigger by the second, Lucy shut her mouth and stared down at her own lap. A silence fell through the open space, each girl seeming unsure of what to say.

"Did Natsu kiss you?" Levy's question was quiet, like she was afraid to break the fragile girl's ego. Lucy closed her eyes for a second before opening them to look at her friends.

"No." Lucy paused then sheepishly smiled. "I kissed Natsu."

"WHAT?!" The three girls shouted, and Lucy knew her story had taken the cake. Flushing at how excited they looked, Lucy tried to explain herself.

"I was _really _drunk. It seemed like a good idea at the time. And it's not like he pushed me away! Or, not at first. But then, he got all weird on me. He just tucked me into bed and ignored the whole situation. Today too! He didn't bring it up once."

"Well of course he didn't," Erza said, confusing Lucy. Giving her a scolding look, Erza shook her head. "He never told you about that girl at the party, did he?"

"Wh-which one?" Lucy tried to pass it off like she didn't know what she was talking about. Not like that single girl had been plaguing her thoughts for the past two years. Erza arched an eyebrow at Lucy, proving she knew exactly what Lucy was thinking. "Oh, that. We never really discussed it."

"Juvia remembers which girl Erza is speaking of. The one Natsu hooked up with?" Juvia asked. When Erza nodded, Juvia looked to Lucy sadly. "Juvia knows how upset Natsu was over that night."

"Oh yeah! That was the party Gray, Gajeel, and Natsu went shot for shot, right? How does Lucy not know about that? Natsu was out of it for like, that entire week after." Even Levy knew about the story?

"What are you guys talking about?" Lucy asked, wanting to know whatever it was Natsu hadn't told her.

"Natsu came to the party really upset over a fight you two had. Gajeel and Gray didn't like seeing Natsu so emotionally messed up, so they challenged him to a drinking game. You know how those three always deal with things. After like, the seventh shot, Natsu was completely hammered," Levy said, Lucy nodding in understanding. She knew her fight with him had bothered Natsu, but not to the extent that Levy was explaining.

"You all went to that party?"

"Juvia goes to all of Gray's parties," Juvia replied. "This party was a lot bigger than Gray's normal parties. Juvia barely had room to move. Juvia remembers seeing Natsu looking for someone after his match with Gray, but Juvia was too busy taking care of Gray to see much else."

"I was in the same boat with Gajeel. I couldn't even make out the name he was calling when he passed by us," Levy said, Lucy unwillingly wincing.

"So he was the one who sought her out," Lucy mumbled, wrapping the blanket closer to her. It was one thing for Natsu to hook up with some random girl. But to go looking for her? Now that cut like a knife.

"He was looking for you, Lucy," Erza said, leaving no room for Lucy to question her. "And he thought he found you."

"W-what?" Lucy whispered, not sure she had heard Erza right. The red head didn't falter, knowing it was time for her friend to know the truth. It had been two years too long, and she was tired of seeing her two best friends destroy each other.

"I didn't go to that party; my job required me to work the graveyard shift. I only saw the aftermath. Natsu told me the girl who he slept with was a blonde. A drunk blonde whose laughter reminded him of you. Natsu never intended to sleep with some random girl. All he wanted that night was to see you. He was drunk and desperate—"

"Erza, maybe we shouldn't be telling her this!" Even at Levy's shout, Erza didn't look away from Lucy.

"—and he made a _mistake _because he wanted to be with you. He can never erase that night, no matter how much he wants to." Lucy's hands were clenched in her blanket; her eyes wide open in shock. Why had nobody ever told her the real story? Natsu never said a word about being drunk or looking for her. The girl was blond? He _regretted _it? She should have known something was off when he swept the night under the rug. Any other guy would have boasted about their first time to anyone with ears. Natsu made it like it never happened. Now Lucy knew why.

But Lucy wasn't quite sure how to handle the situation. It was extremely hard to deny her feelings for him when her heart was beating out of her chest at the idea of him searching for her. The fact that he slept with someone because it reminded him of her wasn't overlooked by the attentive girl either. If she got anything from the uncovered story, it was that Natsu felt something toward her. More than he let her believe, at least. Maybe it was in their nature, because Lucy hadn't really depicted her feelings for him either. Half of the time, she was trying to shove them into any hidden crevice she could find in her brain to save their friendship. Maybe Natsu did the same thing? And if so, was there really a reason to hide their feelings?

"Juvia remembers that morning as well. Gray knew something was wrong with Natsu the second they made eye contact. Juvia was requested to help Lyon pick up after the party while Gray and Natsu went somewhere Juvia does not know. They didn't return until nightfall, both bruised up and dirty. Natsu left without a word, and Gray didn't say much when Juvia questioned him. The only thing Juvia could conclude was Natsu and Gray had been fighting all day. But Juvia still does not understand why."

"It's Natsu's way of dealing with emotional pain," Erza answered. "Natsu and Gray understand each other better than most would expect. Natsu lets out his feelings through his fists, and Gray is one of the only people who could properly fight him in that state. They've done this since they were children."

"Though most of the time you stop them," Levy said, smiling at the sisterly nature that Erza had.

"Sometimes it's necessary to let Natsu deal with his pain." Erza looked over to Lucy, who had dropped her head down to hide her face. She sat down next to the silent girl, placing a comforting arm around her shoulder. "I'm sorry it took so long for us to tell you this, Lucy. I hope you'll forgive me."

"We just…thought it wasn't our business to tell," Levy added, sitting on the edge of the coffee table. Juvia nodded in agreement, kneeling next to the couch to place her hand on Lucy's knee.

"Juvia only wants to see Lucy smile. Telling her this story would hurt Lucy."

"You knew Natsu would be upset if you told me. I'm not mad at any of you. If anything, I'm mad at myself," Lucy whispered, leaning her body against Erza's side. She clenched her eyes tighter, trying to keep any tears from falling. "I was so wrapped up in my own feelings that I couldn't even see Natsu's pain. During our entire friendship, all he has ever done is protected me. Taken care of me, made sure I was okay. This should have been my time to help, and I failed him. How can I face Natsu after knowing this?"

"Don't think of it like that Lucy! You didn't know the truth; you couldn't have known what actually happened that night," Levy said, shaking her head. "Beating yourself up over this won't change the past."

"All you can do is look to the future." At Erza's comment, Lucy took a deep breath and lifted her head to nod at her friends.

"Alright then; no more running away! I'll talk to Natsu tonight and sort this whole mess out. Even if it takes all night, I have to figure out just what Natsu's feelings are for me!" Two of the girls cheered at Lucy's new enthusiasm, though one seemed bothered at the answer.

"Not to rain on your parade, but isn't your project due in two days? Juvia thinks it may be weird to draw Natsu naked after talking about such a sensitive subject."

"Oh my god, my project! How am I supposed to draw Natsu like _that _when I have all of this on my brain? I'm going to fail this assignment and ruin my chances of getting picked by Professor Mira! Why me?" Lucy slumped back onto the couch, the feeling of queasiness coming back into her stomach. The moment of confidence she had was gone, plagued by the deadline of her nude drawing. And, when she felt like it couldn't get worse, the lurching of her stomach proved her wrong. She threw her blankets off as she ran to the bathroom, Levy taking a slow breath before she rose to her feet. Yanking out a piece of paper, Levy handed it to Juvia.

"You really shouldn't have put all of this on her while she has a hangover, Erza. Juvia, will you go look in Lucy's kitchen and see if she's got these ingredients? I have a feeling she's going to need my hangover _Getrank_," Levy said, moving toward the bathroom.

"Will Lucy be okay?" Juvia asked, Erza smiling softly and nodding.

"The greatest thing about Lucy is her heart. Now that she's accepting the feelings she has for Natsu, it will only be a matter of time before everything is right between them. Because Lucy is the only one who has a heart big enough to love Natsu's huge personality."

"Juvia is glad, but, Juvia was more concerned about Lucy's hangover."

"Oh. Well, despite Lucy's many great qualities…I'm not sure drinking is one of them." At that, the two girls looked at each other before they started to laugh. Lucy groaned as she tightly held the toilet, cursing Cana and her demonic drinks.

* * *

"Thanks again for taking care of me. I feel so much better. Where the heck did you get that hangover recipe from, Levy? It worked amazingly!" At Lucy's enthusiastic tone, Levy grinned and gave her a thumbs up.

"I got it from my trip to Germany last summer. They drink so much there, it's no wonder they've come up with the best hangover remedies." Lucy nodded; laughing when Levy teasingly threw a handful of popcorn at Erza's sleeping body. Letting out a slow breath, Lucy looked around the apartment and smiled. After taking Levy's advice, Lucy tried the nastiest looking mixture that had ever been blended in her kitchen. The color of it alone almost made her run to the bathroom. But after Levy promised Lucy fast results, Lucy plugged her nose and chugged it down. Within minutes, the color had returned to Lucy's face and she was able to walk around the apartment without the queasy stomach. After an hour, it was like she had never had a drink in her life.

The four of them had spent the rest of the day watching romance movies and mowing down pizzas by the box. The delivery guy had been expecting a party by how much food the girls had ordered. Despite her slim figure, Erza had to eat a lot to keep up with her hectic life. Lucy was dying of hunger after throwing everything she ever ate up, and Levy was just as hungry after slaving over her hangover concoction. Juvia was the only one with a normal stomach.

While waiting for their dinner to arrive, Juvia had disappeared to Gray's apartment and returned with many of her romantic comedies. She later admitted that Lisanna would sometimes go home on the weekends to visit her family. Never liking to be alone, Juvia would ask Gray and Lyon to use their TV to watch her DVDs. She had a TV in her own apartment, but Gray's was much bigger. After a year of lugging the movies back and forth, Gray bought her a bin to keep her movies in his closet. Knowing that she hated to be alone, Lyon would always offer their apartment for her to stay in. She had never taken his offer, feeling like a burden on Gray. It wasn't until a weekend Lyon and Lisanna both had gone home that Gray told her to spend the night whenever she was lonely. They talked for hours that night, Gray proving that he hated to be alone just as much as Juvia. It was the first time Gray opened up to Juvia. When it came time to sleep, Gray gave her his bed while he slept on the couch. Not once did he act as anything but a gentleman, something Juvia knew was rare in guys his age. It was just another reason that Juvia had fallen head over heels for him.

"Who knew that Erza could fall asleep so fast?" Juvia asked, keeping her eyes on the movie.

"Well, she did say she had a long night talking with Jellal. She's probably really worn out. I already texted him; he said he'd come pick her up after work," Lucy said. She watched Katherine Heigl's character get on the elevator with Gerald Butler, completely hooked on the plot line of "The Ugly Truth". Before it they had watched "The Notebook", "Pride and Prejudice" and "The Vow". Though she enjoyed the three movies before, Lucy loved anything that had the blonde actress in it. Somehow, she related to how she always contrasted personalities with her partner. Since Lucy had never seen this particular movie, she gasped when she watched the unexpected make out scene in-between the elevator doors.

"See, that's a man! All of these movies…this is what I want from Gajeel. Some kind of passion or interest! The only time he even shows excitement is when he's arguing with Natsu. Is it such a crime to have a dream like this?" Levy asked, leaning on her hand as she sighed. Lucy shook her head, ruffling the blue hair on her best friend's head.

"No, it's not. We all deserve it for putting up with everything we do. Gajeel's still got a lot of guilt in him; he's not ready to think he has a shot with you."

"So he puts me down and calls me names? Not my version of true love," Levy said, blowing her hair out of her face in frustration.

"Juvia thinks she knows why Gajeel calls Levy names." Not wanting to miss a minute of her guilty pleasure, Lucy paused the movie to listen to Juvia's explanation. "Gajeel has been a friend of Juvia's since high school."

"You've know him that long?! How come I never knew that?" Levy asked, shocked at the new information. Though many of Lucy's friends had been from Magnolia, Juvia and Gajeel were both not. She just never expected them to be from the same town.

"Juvia is sorry; she didn't think to tell you. You see, Gajeel always had a tendency to hang out with the wrong crowd in high school and early college years. Juvia tried to stop him, but Gajeel felt like these were the only people who would accept him. Gajeel wasn't truly evil, but he did a lot of bad things with them in the past. Things Juvia won't speak of. That was the guy who bullied Levy. The old Gajeel. But once Levy entered Gajeel's life, he changed. He stopped hanging around his old group of friends to be around Levy. There he met Natsu, Gray, even Lucy and Erza. Juvia was happy to see the true Gajeel come out. Juvia thinks Gajeel doesn't believe he deserves Levy's time, so he hurts her to make her stay away from him. But, Juvia knows Gajeel truly cares for Levy, which is why he can never stay away for too long. It's Gajeel's heart against his mind."

"You really think that's it?" Lucy asked, amazed at how much thought Juvia put into the situation. Juvia nodded, a look of confidence in her eyes.

"Juvia knows love better than anyone else. Just like Juvia knows her love for Gray will never subside!" Lucy nearly fell over at Juvia's sudden burst of energy, though she should have expected it. Whenever Juvia talked about love, Gray was bound to come up.

"So then what do I do?" At the timid question, Lucy looked over to her blushing best friend. Normally forward and sure of herself, Levy looked to her friends for an answer. "If Gajeel likes me, but won't show it, what do I do? Keep asking Juvia to decipher Gajeel's language? Take her with us on dates to find out if he's really enjoying his time with me? Have her read his vows at the damn wedding? I don't want to have to do that, especially if I might like him too!"

"Juvia thinks the 'might' is not needed in this situation." It was only obvious Levy's feelings for Gajeel after her last few comments. Lucy smiled at the confused girl, doing her best to comfort her.

"It's up to you, Levy. You say you want love like you see in the movies, but you pick a guy who is as opposite from romantic as they come. He's gruff, anti-social, and won't smother you with affection. He may take years to drop the 'L' word on you, and he may never call you by name. But Gajeel is protective, intelligent, and always wants you by his side. The first person he takes care of, even before himself, is you. So, you have to decide which dream you're going to let go of; prince charming, or Gajeel?"

"How could I ever just let go of Gajeel?!" Levy snapped instantly, standing up in irritation at Lucy's question. Though Juvia gasped at the outburst, Lucy only smiled.

"There's your answer," Lucy replied, knowing what Levy's heart wanted all along. Watching love movies were great, if you didn't base your life off of them. The reason Noah and Mr. Darcy seemed so perfect was because they weren't real. Gajeel, Gray, Jellal, and even Natsu were unscripted men. They weren't told to say any of the stupid remarks they did on a daily basis. There were no guides in how to express their feelings. And even if there were, they were too stubborn to let anyone tell them what to do. Even now, Lucy could picture Natsu lighting the script on fire while shouting he didn't need help.

But these real men had character traits that not even the best actor could perform better. Gajeel travelled all over the world just to be near Levy. Jellal was willing to face down past demons for the slim chance of a future with Erza. Gray had etiquette and respect for Juvia, even if it meant getting teased by his guy friends for not making a move. And Natsu would move mountains to keep Lucy from crying. Every one of them had their own ways of showing their true feelings. But deciphering them was what made the girls crazy to begin with!

"Lucy!" The front door opened, revealing two male figures. Recognizing them instantly, Lucy smiled at her roommate and her guest.

"You got out early, Natsu."

"What are you talking about? It's almost nine; I've been there for eight hours while you sat on the couch all day and ate pizza without me!" At Natsu's bellow, Lucy quickly put her finger up to her lips while pointing to Erza. He paled at the sight of the sleeping girl, taking a step away from her and lowering his voice. "And I was sent home with a note for Juvia about tonight. He said he lost his phone last night, but he wanted to show he was 'trying' or something. Stupid bastard wouldn't let me read—"

"Is it from Gray?!" At Natsu's nod, Juvia quickly snatched the piece of paper out of Natsu's hand before cradling it to her chest. Both boys were shocked by her actions, though neither Lucy or Levy blinked. Instead, Lucy turned her attention to the man with the intricate face tattoo.

"Hello again, Jellal. You here to collect your prize?"

"What prize? All he's here to do is bring Erza home," Natsu answered, scratching his head at Lucy's dumbfounded stare.

"I'm almost scared to know he's graduating this year," Levy whispered, Lucy nodding her head in agreement. Jellal smiled at the two girls before moving forwards, effortlessly picking up Erza from the floor. She squirmed a bit, which scared the whole group equally. The only thing worse than a pissed off Erza was one who was woken up from her sleep. The tense air subsided when Erza curled closer to Jellal, an action an awake Erza would never do.

"Thank you for taking care of her today," Jellal said, politely bowing his head to the three smiling girls. Lucy was happy that Jellal came back into Erza's life, knowing he was a good match for her. Sure, he had some demons, but who didn't? She could tell by the delicate way he brushed her hair from her sleeping face that Jellal was in love with her. And Erza deserved that happiness more than anyone.

"It was nothing, really! I should be thanking her if anything," Lucy said honestly. It was her fault that the four of them were stuck at her apartment all day, after all.

"I'll have her call you tomorrow when she wakes. I'm sure she'll feel bad about falling asleep at your house." Lucy could already hear Erza's over the top apology in her head.

"Juvia should be going as well. Gray would be upset if Juvia was late tonight."

"Do you need help carrying these downstairs? I should probably go find the lug-nut since I kind of bailed on him this morning without even saying goodbye. He's never going to let me live this down." Lucy exchanged her collective goodbyes with her friends, letting out a relieved sigh when Natsu locked the door behind them.

"Today was exhausting!" Lucy said, stretching out on the couch and yawning. She blinked when a shadow fell over her, blushing when she realized how close Natsu's face was to hers.

"Lucy?"

"Y-Yeah?" She stuttered, her thoughts instantly going to the night before. He stared at her intently, making it hard for her to keep her heartbeat under control. Whatever moment Lucy was hoping for was quickly erased by the grumbling coming from Natsu's stomach.

"Please tell me you saved some pizza for me, I'm so hungry!"

"_That's _why you're leaning this close to me?! For pizza?" She wanted to strangle the guy above her when he nodded happily, glancing away from her and toward the piled up pizza boxes.

"I haven't eaten anything since the party last night; of course food is a top priority right now." Silently counting to ten, Lucy pointed to a single box that was sitting on the opposite side of the table.

"I got you a pizza in case you came in too late to cook. I didn't want you to go hungry," Lucy muttered, pushing to sit upright the second Natsu moved away from her. She watched him eagerly grab the pizza, shoving the first piece in his mouth before looking back to Lucy.

"Thanks, Luce! You're the best roommate a guy could ask for." He smiled brightly after swallowing his food, affecting Lucy's sour mood. She leaned her elbow on the coffee table, her head being held by her hand as she softly smiled.

"We're best friends right? I've always got your back, Natsu." He gave her a thumbs up before continuing to devour the pizza, making Lucy laugh. "Hey, you want to know why Gray wouldn't let you read that note?"

"How would you know? You didn't even read it!"

"Let's just call it women's intuition," She said, smiling. "It probably had to do with the fact that Gray's trying to be more open with Juvia about his feelings. He did ask Juvia out on a date last night."

"A date? Wait….with JUVIA?!" Natsu burst out laughing at Lucy's information, making her smack her forehead. Sometimes he acted a little more like he was twelve and not twenty one. "Who knew the guy had it in him to actually ask her?"

"Be easy on him, Natsu. If not for his sake, then for Juvia's. If you embarrass him too much, he'll probably never ask her again. And if she finds out you were the one who ruined her chances with her 'soul mate', there wouldn't be enough places in this universe for you to hide."

"I wasn't planning on it!" His response surprised her. Normally, Natsu would use any type of embarrassing information against Gray. It was why she had truly thought Gray was keeping the date away from Natsu to begin with. But once Natsu caught his breath from laughing, he pushed up off the ground and sat next to Lucy. "It's just that Gray's always denied ever having feelings for her. I'm closer to him than most; I know when he's putting on an act. It was kind of frustrating to see him ignoring her feelings because he's afraid of his own. He's been all stoic like this since he was a kid; never letting people he cared about know. Of course me and Erza see through him, so sometimes I call him out on it."

"You knew he liked her?" She asked, Natsu nodding once.

"When I found out he let her sleep in his bed, I knew. Gray's big on personal space. I don't remember a time he's brought a girl back to his apartment for that very reason. That's why at parties, he always has his bedroom door locked." Lucy had noticed that weird habit the first time she went to one of Gray's parties, but she never dared to ask. Her imagination got the better of her, and her thoughts ranged from hidden illegal animals to a secret shrine of herself. "I'm pretty sure Juvia's the only girl he's ever let in there. If it was any other girl, he'd offer them Lyon's room. That's how I knew!"

"Your logic is that simple, huh?" She asked, smiling when he nodded feverishly. "So then you must know about Gajeel and Levy."

"What about them?" The urge to tease him was too great to resist.

"They're getting eloped." Natsu almost spit out the food he was eating at her comment.

"When did they even get together?! Lucy this isn't a good idea, Gajeel will probably eat her one night for a midnight snack. The stupid guy probably thinks eloping is a type of food! And why not a real wedding? We have to go stop her!" Lucy laughed so hard her sides hurt, wiping a set of tears from her eyes at his panicked reaction.

"I-I-I'm kidding!" She breathed out, completely winded from her laughter. She leaned against the side of the couch, throwing her feet up onto his lap to try and relax her body. Even though her hangover was gone, her body was sore from hitting into the wall the night before. Closing her eyes, she wiggled lower onto the couch to get comfortable.

"That wasn't funny Lucy; Levy would have made a huge mistake." She heard his mutter, Lucy shrugging her shoulders and leaning her head back on the armrest.

"Is marriage such a bad thing?"

"Not when it's done right!" She was going to open her eyes, but moaned when she felt warm pressure on her foot. She had expected Natsu to throw her legs off of him or at least make a fuss. Instead, the unpredictable boy was gently rubbing the sore spots on her left foot. It was making Lucy's toes curl in pleasure.

"So not eloping, you mean?" She shivered at a gentle roll of his knuckles in the center of her foot. She wanted to question when Natsu had learned to massage, but it was probably natural to him. Natsu had a knack for anything hand-oriented, which was why she was so surprised he didn't go into mechanics or engineering of some sort.

"If you're going to sign the papers, might as well get a party out of it." Lucy was in heaven, and it took her a few seconds to think of what to say next.

"Do you think you'd ever get married?" His hand paused on her foot, but the momentary silence quickly shifted into Natsu switching feet to work on.

"Who would want to marry me?" Though he was still invoking blissful tremors through her body, Lucy opened her eyes to look over to her concentrated roommate.

"Why wouldn't they?" She asked, not liking the furrowing of his eyebrows. Natsu always played cocky, and most of the time it was because he truly believed what he was saying. Still, even superman had his moments of doubt.

"Ask yourself this, Luce; would you want to marry someone like me?" He lifted his head to look over at her with uncertainty.

"I would." She didn't have to think twice about it. The fact that he was sitting here, rubbing her feet without rhyme or reason, showed her just what type of husband he would be.

"Why?"

"Why not? There's nothing wrong with you, Natsu. I like you just as you come," She answered truthfully, ignoring the quickening of her heartbeat. When she felt his fingers tense on her feet, she quickly laughed and tried to break up the intense atmosphere. "You'd just have to find someone like me to marry."

"Impossible!"

"Eh? Why do you say that?" He laughed at her confusion before going back to massaging her feet. His smile was bright, like she had just said something amusing to him. But it was his next sentence that left Lucy completely breathless.

"Because there's nobody else in this world like you, Lucy."

**And that's the end of chapter four! I know you're all waiting for the sketch scene, and I'm happy to announce it's the next chapter! =) So, how will Lucy deal with drawing Natsu? Will she bring up Erza's confession? What are Natsu's true feelings for Lucy? And will Lucy regret not using Gray for her project? Review to find out!**

**Chapter Five: Drawing Out True Feelings**


	5. Drawing Out True Feelings

**Hello my loves! Lots of positive feedback from the previous chapter. They made me a very happy girl. I got some pretty good results from my GaLe one-shot "Princess" which I think you should all check out. But AFTER you read the chapter you've all be dying for! **

**Oh**** also****, I'm planning on doing a new Fairy Tail story after this one. It'd be longer than this, possibly ten to fifteen chapters. I've started writing a lot of it already, but I'm not confident I have the audience for it. I'd love to hear if any of you would like to see me write more. Just let me know**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is their sexy ideas =P**

**Warning: There is MATURE content in this chapter, so get out your tissues! **

Chapter Five: Drawing Out True Feelings

_"Because there's nobody else in this world like you, Lucy."_

She knew he meant it a completely different way than she took it. Still, her eyes widened as she fought to grab the fabric over her rapidly beating heart. Her cheeks flushed with color as he continued to work on her feet, her muddle mind clearing. Yeah, Natsu would have no problem sweeping a girl off her feet. He had already done it without Lucy noticing. Lucy had fallen in love with her best friend. The thought hit into her like a train. When had all of this feeling built up? How had she denied it for so long? She had to try and pull herself together when Natsu lifted his head again, looking back to her.

"Are you feeling better now?"

"Y-Yeah!" She stuttered out, making Natsu frown before leaning closer to her.

"You look like you have a fever or something. You sure you're okay?" Feeling suddenly claustrophobic, Lucy swung her feet away from Natsu and stood up.

"Look, I'm fine! I've just been wrapped up in blankets all day, so I'm a bit overheated. But I feel amazing right now."

"That's great!" He stood up with her, placing his hands on her shoulders. She ignored the slight shiver in her body when he spoke. "So then maybe this is the best night to do it."

"…ah…" Her eyes must have looked like saucers from Natsu's perspective. Trying to keep her knees from buckling, Lucy swallowed. "Do it?"

"Your art project. You've been putting it off all week! And I know if you wait until tomorrow you'll have a panic attack."

"Oh! Yeah, the project. I really shouldn't be putting it off." Even though she said that, her brain was desperately trying to think of a reason not to do it. She yelped when he grabbed her hand, yanking her through the apartment and into her room.

"I'm not really sure what you want me to do, so I'm going in blind here." He let her go when they passed her easel, Lucy hesitantly sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Natsu—"

"I just stand here?" He looked up at her, masking his nerves with a wide grin. "Just go easy on me, alright? This is my first time doing something like this."

"I don't exactly make it a part of my daily activity either!" She shouted, fiddling with her giant sketch book. She looked up at him, taking a slow breath to calm herself. Everything in the past week had shaken her. Her thoughts, her feelings, and her internal confessions had changed her from the girl who got this assignment Monday. But that didn't mean the artist in Lucy was gone. Natsu trusted her to do her best, willingly putting himself in an uncomfortable situation for her sake. Couldn't she deal with a few nerves? Trying to erase every thought that didn't pertain to her assignment, Lucy nodded to Natsu. "Okay, I'm ready."

"That's the spirit, Luce!" She felt herself relax with his optimistic shout, watching him shrug off his shoes and socks. She could see the hesitation in him while he started to unbutton his shirt, reminding her of his unspoken modesty. When he stopped on the third button, her mind flashed back to the beer pong game. There, he had no problem undoing his shirt in front of people because he was focused on something else. She almost wished she had Gray around to challenge him to a stripping contest. Even if it wouldn't make every one of Natsu's fears go away, at least he could focus on the challenge of it—

_Just so you know, a good way to get someone to relax is to make them feel like they're not alone._ Loke's words rang through her head, making her act without much thinking.

"Lucy?" She ignored his surprised voice as she grabbed the bottom of her shirt, yanking the whole thing over her head. She could hear the fabric hit the floor with how silent the air was around them, but Lucy faced it head on. It was another rare chance for Lucy to help Natsu through something, and she wasn't going to pass it up.

"An eye for an eye, right? Whatever you take off, I will too." Even as she said that, she could feel her nerves creeping through her. Was this taking Loke's words of advice a little too far? Natsu had seen Lucy in plenty of bikinis before, so the skin wasn't new to him. But the pink lace bra was designed to be more enticing than any swim wear. She could see Natsu's eyes switching from her bra to her face, trying his best not to gawk. It gave her a little more confidence and made her heartbeat race.

"Y-you don't have to do that Lucy!" She nodded her head, trying to show him she knew it wasn't mandatory.

"I know. But this is my art project; you're not going through the embarrassing part alone. Best friends stick together, right?" The two exchanged glances before Natsu looked away, finally shrugging the shirt off of his back. Lucy looked down his chest, trying her best not to stare.

"Don't do anything that will make you uncomfortable," He muttered, trying to undo his pants. She nodded, but wasted no time untying the draw string to her sleep pants. She wiggled out of them the same time he dropped his to the ground, kicking them somewhere in the room. Thanking God she had shaved for the party the night before, Lucy ran her hand over the smoothness of her leg. She jumped when she heard Natsu snap at her. "H-Hey!"

"What?" She asked, looking up at him quickly. He blushed, then looked away while playing with the band to his boxers.

"N-Nothing." She decided not to question the weird behavior when she realized there was only one piece of clothing left on her roommate. This was do or die. Lucy tried to keep her eyesight above his shoulders despite wanting to let her eyes roam. Knowing she could never abandon the mission now, Lucy looked to the clip on the front of her bra. Unlike normal bras, this one unlatched from the front. Once undone, there was no way to hide herself. Knowing Natsu was watching, Lucy reached up to unclasp her bra. The second she touched the single hook between her breasts, Natsu spoke. "Don't take that off."

"H-huh?" She asked, instantly yanking her hands away from her bra. She almost felt hurt. Natsu didn't seem to enjoy the strip down as much as she had with him, and she wondered if there was no chemistry between them after all. He shifted his body weight between his feet, showing he was anxious.

"I know I'm your roommate, but I'm still a _guy_. Seeing you like this is already bad enough. My problem is going to get painful if you take anything else off." He said it bluntly, making Lucy's face light on fire. So much for no chemistry. Too embarrassed to speak, Lucy only nodded and left the bra untouched. After a few tense seconds of Natsu not moving, Lucy tried to think of anything to distract him from his objective.

"If this is too much, I could still ask Gray to do it." Instantly, she knew that was the wrong thing to say. Natsu's eye twitched, glaring over to the artist.

"I can do anything that stupid stripper can! Just because it's his specialty doesn't mean you should just jump ship two minutes into the project." Okay, she had really hurt his ego there. She had just wanted to give him an out if he wasn't comfortable. She didn't mean to run over his pride with a school bus!

"I'm sorry," She said, trying to mend the damage she had done. He growled before looking away, clenching his hands in the elastic waistband.

"Do you want to draw him?" Natsu asked, Lucy shaking her head.

"No!"

"You keep bringing him up."

"I'd rather draw you more than anyone," She admitted, knowing her cheeks were probably going to fall off from her embarrassment.

"Really?" She nodded, giving Natsu the small boost of confidence he seemed to need. "Alright, let's do this."

"Right—oh." Lucy's mind drew a blank when Natsu finally shed his last garment, leaving her speechless. She was so busy trying to get Natsu prepared, she forgot about herself. She knew she was staring, but she couldn't help it. Natsu was perfect! She wasn't a pro when it came to naked men (only seeing Gray for a few seconds at a time). Still, Lucy could tell from the tightening warmth in her stomach that Natsu impressed both her mind and body.

"Lucy? Luuuuucy!" She jerked her head up, looking at the confusion on Natsu's face. Getting his clothes off of him had been a bit of a struggle, but he was adapting easily from how quickly his muscles were relaxing. "Are you sure you're well enough to do this?"

"I'm fine." He thought she was sick? Had he ever seen a girl aroused before? Jesus, he was denser than she ever thought! Or maybe not. He talked big, but Natsu normally boosted up his ego when involving other guys. When it came to Gray, it was ten times worse. Did he really have no idea how attractive he was? It would make sense with their marriage conversation. "I should probably start drawing."

"You better not be a silent artist," he warned, Lucy laughing at his pouting face.

"I'll try not to be for you." He nodded, and Lucy focused her mind the best she could.

She just hoped she could get through this without bringing her feelings up.

* * *

For the first hour, everything went well. They talked while she drew, which helped ease the air around them. Natsu's brain leapt from one subject to the next, never giving Lucy time to be silent. She'd occasionally stop to laugh at a joke he made, knowing it would mess up her drawing if she continued. So wrapped up in their conversation, Lucy almost forgot he was naked. Then again, it was kind of hard for her when glancing lower than his chest. Natsu had relaxed completely (well, _most_ of him), which made a weight lift off of Lucy's shoulders. The last thing she wanted was her best friend to be uncomfortable.

"-and that's why I have the scar on my neck." Lucy was just finishing up the same scar that Natsu was talking about when he concluded his sentence. She looked up, giggling at his story.

"And that's why you always wear that scarf. You had one crazy life before you met me."

"There was never a dull moment, especially at Fairy Tail! But I'm still happy I met you; you kind of filled a void I had been looking to erase."

"I know Natsu, you tell me all the time." She started defining his shoulder blades and continued. "So what else would you like to talk about?"

"It's your turn to choose a subject. I've racked my brain enough."

"Alright alright." She tried to think of something while she continued to draw, letting her mind unconsciously wander. Without double checking her thought process, her mouth moved on its own. "What's sex like?"

"Sex?" Her eyes widened at his response, realizing what she had asked. She swore when the tip of her pencil broke, Lucy tossing it on the easel and grabbing another one. She hoped the movement would distract him, but Natsu was not wavering. "Why do you want to know—"

"I just was making conversation! A-And since I'm a virgin, I guess it's something I've always wondered…I figured since you've done it, you'd know." She passed it off as simple curiosity, not shedding light on the conversation she had earlier with Erza. She poked her head over the canvas to see Natsu staring at the wall with a concentrated look.

"It's not that great," he mumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. She winced, knowing she had yet again hit a sore spot. Lucy looked back to her drawing, trying to think of a new subject to segue into. "Then again, I can't really remember much of it."

"You don't?" She asked, surprised at his confession. He shrugged casually despite the obvious tenseness of his shoulders.

"I was really drunk, not something I'm proud of. Then again, so wasn't the girl. Maybe that's why it was such a train wreck at the end. I mean, don't get me wrong; the girl was pretty." Lucy's pencil slowed at his compliment, feeling her teeth clench behind her lips. Natsu didn't seem to notice. "There was nothing really wrong with her, to be honest. Somehow, it just went downhill."

"Maybe you're just bad in bed." Natsu raised an eyebrow at the cold tone in her voice, something she didn't understand herself. Really, the last thing she wanted to talk about while having Natsu naked in front of her was another girl. Especially this one. And especially about this night.

"She didn't complain, if that's what you're saying." Lucy felt her anger grow with her pain, glaring over to him.

"How would you know? You were _drunk,_ remember?"

"Because I do remember some things! Like her calling my name more than once! And even drunk I'd make sure she was taken care of. What is your problem, Lucy?" She opened her mouth to reply, but the slight jerk of his body swayed a part of him she was trying not to look at. It was still impressive, even if he seemed to lose his arousal with the fight they were engaging in. That girl probably did enjoy it as much as he was saying. Her imagination created a scene of Natsu having sex with the mystery girl. Of her clutching to his shoulders while he kissed her the same way he had kissed Lucy the night before. Blushing in both anger and embarrassment, Lucy threw a pillow at him.

"Will you cover up when we're in a fight?!" Natsu's mouth dropped open in shock before holding the pillow over his happy trail.

"We're fighting?"

"Yes!"

"Over what?"

"You being an idiot!" She shouted, trying to cover her chest with her arms. Now that the situation had grown sour, Lucy felt more exposed than ever. In fact, her body was trembling and it was taking everything in her not to cry.

_Why me?_

She turned her face away from him so he wouldn't see her reaction, knowing it would only open up a door she wasn't ready to face yet. Natsu growled while his hand fisted in her pillow.

"If you want me to leave, I will! I'll break into the stripper's house and sleep there for the night. Or two nights, or however many nights it takes for you to forgive me for whatever I did. But at least tell me so I know! I don't want my best friend mad at me." Lucy didn't respond right away. In truth, she didn't want him to leave. She was just mad! Natsu had just said something that really rubbed her the wrong way, even if he didn't know it. It had hurt. She looked over to Natsu, seeing the confusion on his face. He glanced to her once, then shifted his gaze as his cheeks darkened. She was still half naked, after all. Even in a fight he didn't understand, Natsu had the decency not to sneak a peek at her. Why? Not because he wasn't attracted; he had made that clear with his boner the past hour. It was because he cared about her. Her eyes softened from their glare when she realized how stupid she was being. Erza had already told her he considered it a mistake, and yet Lucy was still jealous. That was what this all boiled down to. Lucy and her jealousy.

"…I'm sorry," Lucy mumbled, her arms falling back to her sides. "I don't want to fight with you or be mad. And I don't want you to leave either. It's just…you've never talked about it with me before."

"We were both just busy that week." That wasn't true. Lucy had plenty of that time that week. She had just avoided him like the plague. It was no wonder that Erza, Levy, and Juvia knew more about it than she had. If someone had even mentioned Natsu's name, Lucy was running in the other direction.

"Sorry about that. I should have been there for you," she whispered, feeling the guilt from earlier build up again.

"Don't worry about it! It was like, two years ago or something." He brushed it off like he always did, but Lucy wasn't sure she was willing to let go. Using courage she only knew when she was drunk, Lucy pushed her easel to the side to fully see Natsu. "Eh? Lucy?"

"Erza told me what happened." Her voice came out shakier than she wanted, but the point was made. Natsu blinked, hesitating before hiding his fear with a laugh. Just like he always had. How had Lucy missed this? She was such an idiot.

"Erza? What'd that lunatic say now?" Lucy could back out now. God knew her mind was screaming at her to leave it alone. Didn't Juvia warn her about this exact conversation? She was smart; she could make up something ridiculous and continue with her drawing. Natsu was dense enough to believe whatever came out of her mouth. If she pushed the envelope, it would be the end of her project and any chance of gaining her teacher's praise.

"That you slept with a drunk blond because her laughter reminded you of me." But this was bigger than any of that. This was Natsu. She watched his eyes widen and his smile drop, leaving a look of terror on his face. Like his world was falling in on him. This face was one Lucy never wanted to see again. "Why were…you looking for me, Natsu?"

"Damnit Erza, I'm going to…try to kick her ass when I see her!" Natsu dropped the pillow and rubbed his palm over one of his eyes, as if trying to alleviate the brief pain of his memory. Lucy waited silently, knowing he couldn't avoid the situation anymore. Neither one of them could. He looked back up at her with his free eye, giving a weak smile. "Guess it goes back to what I said earlier."

"Huh?"

"There's nobody else in the world who could be you. I know; I've tried." He walked over to her, placing his hands on either side of her body to cage her in. She wanted to pull away or slap him, but neither was possible when his gaze focused on hers. "I wanted you out of my head for one night. So I got drunk with Gray, thinking alcohol would just make you disappear. But it didn't. If anything, it made me think of you _more_. So I tried to find you, to finally tell you how pissed off I was! To tell you I was sorry for fighting with you. To…tell you a lot of things."

"But then you found that girl," Lucy whispered, unsure of how to take his explanation. Or maybe just scared to make the wrong assumption from what he was saying.

"At first, I thought it was you. The height and hair color were the same. And her laugh was dead on. Like she had practice or something! So when she kissed me, I wanted to keep pretending it was you." Lucy closed her eyes when she felt Natsu's rough lips skim the outside of her ear. "But her ears weren't pierced. And her perfume was overpowering; nothing like yours. There was nothing wrong with her. Except she wasn't you. Just like I thought, nobody is like you."

"So then…why?" She whispered, gasping when she felt his hot breath against her neck. He rested his head on her shoulder, his body seeming relaxed over her.

"I don't know. Probably because I was drunk and there was a naked girl on top of me." Lucy cringed at his crude answer, Natsu letting out a bitter snort. "I fucked up, I know."

"It just hurts to think of you with someone else," She admitted, blushing when his head shot up to look at her again.

"Really?" She nodded at the hopeful tone in his face, a smile returning to his face.

"It's why I ran away from you the week after you did it. I didn't want to hear about you bragging like other guys I knew. When people would try to talk about you, I would refuse. I didn't really understand why I felt betrayed or wounded, probably because I didn't realize how much time we spent together. Thinking you'd leave me behind for some girl was killing me."

"I knew you were avoiding me!" Lucy glared at Natsu's lack of focus, making the pink haired guy try to recover. "It really bugged me, not having you around that week. It always bothers me when you're not around."

"So…does that mean you uh…I don't know," Lucy shrugged her shoulders, trying to act casual. But it was hard when your best friend was hinting that he may have fallen for you. She heard Natsu chuckle before her face was guided back to the smirking guy above her.

"Yeah, Luce. I'm crazy about you." Her eyes widened as he kissed her, sealing away any insecurities about his words being a lie. Then again, Natsu never lied to her. Closing her eyes, Lucy moaned softly at the way he took control of the kiss. She felt Natsu lead her back onto the bed, though she hardly resisted. Willingly her legs parted for him to lay between, the missing arousal springing back into the hormonal boy's body. Lucy pulled away from the kiss with a gasp, her hands trying to push Natsu off of her.

"Wait a minute! Th-this is so soon! And you are _really _naked right now. And my project, and what if—OH!" Lucy let out a long moan as Natsu kissed down her neck, his hands lacing with hers and sliding them over her head. Feeling his chest against hers, Lucy leaned her head back and closed her eyes at the sensation. This was all new to her. She was having trouble breathing, never mind forming a coherent thought. A devilish tongue swept along the sensitive nerves of her ear before pulling back, forcing Lucy to look up at Natsu's flushed face.

"Do you love me?" She coughed at the sudden sentence, looking around in a panic.

"When did I say that?!"

"You didn't. That's why I'm asking, weirdo." He used their conjoined hands to gently tap her forehead, smiling cheekily while closing his eyes. "Because I love you, Lucy!"

"You can't just…say that." Natsu opened his eyes and cocked his head at her reply, making her realize how cute he could be when he wanted.

"Why not?"

"Be-Because there are rules you—"

"But I've never followed rules. And I'm not starting now." He smirked before leaning down, kissing her to shut her up. Lucy wanted to bite the tongue that invaded her open mouth, but her eyes fluttered shut when his hips softly rubbed into hers. Words were thrown out the door momentarily when Natsu kissed back down her neck, finding particular interest in a spot that made her gasp. By now her legs were bent, creating a cozy home for his hips to rock into. A haze fogged Lucy's mind, but her hands squeezed Natsu's when he tried to pull them from between her fingers. An open mouthed kiss was placed on her collar bone, followed by a rough grind of his body into hers.

"Natsu!" She gasped out, arching her chest into his again. He smiled brightly, as if waiting for that particular response. He tried to move his hands again, which Lucy resisted.

"Lucy, I have wanted to do this for three years." For three years? Lucy had taken until this afternoon to figure this out and Natsu had known for _three years_?! She looked down at him in shock, not sure if she could speak with his lips gently skimming the bare skin of her breasts. "My first time was awkward and a mistake I can't easily forget. I want my first time with you to be better. But I need my hands for that."

"W-why?" She asked, though her fingers slackened in their hold.

"Because I want to do this to you." Lucy moaned when his fingertips scorched fire against her skin, leaving goose bumps in their wake. Her vacant hands clenched in her sheets, her stomach sucking in when his fingers danced along her ribcage. By now his mouth had attached to the flesh over her heart, sucking enough to leave a hickey. She wanted to protest, knowing most of her shirts didn't cover that part of her chest. Predicting she was about to complain, Natsu trailed a finger over her nipple and watched her thought process scatter in seconds.

Natsu knew what Lucy had and hadn't experienced. Though it had always bothered him, he had listened to her stories of short-lived boyfriends throughout the years. Hearing how one guy got up her shirt had Natsu calling Gray at three in the morning for a fight. The others weren't as severe, and gave Natsu the slim hope he'd be the first one to help Lucy experience sex. When the opportunity to be her model came up, Natsu knew his chance was close. He wouldn't just be her roommate or best friend; Lucy would have to look at him as a guy. There was no way he was letting stripper boy model naked for Lucy, and was almost thankful for Gray sending her his way. Maybe Gray wasn't such a dick after all. He'd have to repay the guy for the favor.

Seeing Lucy in that black v-neck at the party had left him brainless for a moment. As bad as it was to admit, nobody could really tell the difference. He hadn't been misreading that Lucy was sneaking glances at the table during beer pong. It made him sure that after the party, Lucy was going to make a move he had been waiting to do for years. He was, unfortunately, right. It was a one in a million shot that he thought he passed up when remembering the girl he had pinned against the door was obliterated. Natsu refused to have sex with Lucy when she was drunk and have her not remember it in the morning. Waving goodbye to his one chance to prove to Lucy he was boyfriend potential, Natsu had moped around at work the next day. He continued to beat himself up over the lost opportunity. Elfman said he was a man for not taking advantage of Lucy. Even Gray tried to give him hope that Lucy would realize her feelings sooner than later. Natsu just didn't realize how right the stripper would be.

This time, he was sober and with the right girl. He wasn't about to let her go because of a few nerves.

"I'm taking this off."

"Huh?" He didn't give her room to argue as he glanced to the clasp on the front of the bra, a definite bonus for him. With one hand, Natsu easily popped open the bra. The cold air made Lucy's mind clear, grasping either side of her bra before it could fall off. Natsu looked up at her curiously, continuing to tease her sensitive skin with his fingers. She shivered, wondering how he had gotten her bra undone so easily. Didn't Gray say he couldn't figure out bras to save his life? Then again, if he was as drunk as he said, it was no wonder.

"Lucy, hurry up!" To show his impatience, Natsu nipped the spot underneath her hickey. She yelped before hitting the top of his head, not realizing the motion would uncover the unprotected breast. Natsu ignored the slight pain in his head to lean forward, capturing her nipple in his mouth.

"W-watch your teeth!" She shouted, though shivered when the pointed canine skimmed her sensitive skin. One hand went into his hair, unable to decide if its intention was to pull him away or closer. All of it felt like a dream to Lucy. How could it be reality? Natsu, lying naked on top of her, teasing her body willingly, was not how she envisioned her night ending. She gasped when her other hand was pushed away, his palm cupping her neglected breast. The muscles in her lower stomach spazzed at the new attention, and Lucy had to bite her lip to keep from moaning. She could already tell her responses were boosting Natsu's ego, especially when he looked up at her and grinned with her nipple between his teeth. She pouted and looked away, not ready to admit he was quite talented with his mouth.

"Does it feel good?" She refused to answer the cocky tone in his voice, her entire body shivering when he started to kiss beneath her boob. They both knew her answer, but it didn't mean she had to lower herself to a verbal response. Instead, Lucy tried to relax her hyper sensitive body, which failed the second Natsu ran his tongue over her belly button. When the hell did he get down there? She pushed up quickly to protest, but Natsu rose just as fast to kiss her again. Her complaint echoed into his mouth, losing any of the bite she had intended it to have. Natsu let her breathe after a few seconds, gaining her attention again with a hand on her cheek. She couldn't stop her smile when his thumb ran over her skin, a childish look to his face. "Your whole body is really soft, Lucy. Way different than mine!"

"Of course, I'm a girl. You didn't notice with that the first time you did this?" He shook his head quickly, fascinated in the soft curve of her face.

"It kind of happened fast, from what I remember. That stripper said I was only gone for ten minutes. Which doesn't mean I'm easy to get off! I was just drunk." Seeming to hit a sensitive nerve, Lucy laughed and leaned her cheek closer to his hand.

"So this is kind of like your first time too."

"For a lot of things, I guess." He paused in his own thoughts before pulling his hand back to give her a thumbs up. "But from what I remember, you're way better than that drunk chick!"

"You are so lucky I love—" she stopped quickly, but Natsu wasn't ready to let the slip up go.

"Yeah, I am." When Natsu leaned his forehead against hers, Lucy felt a little weight lift off her heart. It was still hard to say, or even believe she had fallen in love with such an idiot. She wasn't sure how or when it happened. He said three years ago, but that was for him. Could Lucy remember a time she didn't love at least a part of Natsu? Even the first day they met, Natsu's bright smile had filled Lucy with hope of starting a great life in the Fairy Tail club. And from then on, she just fell for everything else that came with him. "Are you going to keep fighting with me, or can I make you cum now?"

Or, almost everything.

"Natsu!" She swung at him, but he ducked before using the distraction to yank her panties down. She squeaked as he flung them across the room, keeping both hands on her thighs to stop her from closing them. Trying her best not to strangle him, Lucy fell back against the bed and threw her arm over her eyes. The whole situation was embarrassing. Having Natsu announce what he was doing made it even worse. She moaned softly when she felt kisses and nips along the inside of her thigh, Natsu's hand rubbing the other thigh to relax it.

"I know, I said too much. I'm just excited here Luce! So just bare with me, I promise I'll make it worth it." She could feel his words vibrating through the skin of her thigh, Natsu unable to keep his mouth off of her. She wanted to reply, but the feeling of Natsu's finger gliding over her warmth sent her back arching. Nobody had ever come close to what Natsu was doing. She could feel herself slipping into pure bliss as his finger gently sunk into her, taking his time to feel around. He pulled back slightly, pushing in soon after while watching for any complaints from the girl above him. When he heard her moan, all lights were green.

His finger started a slow rhythm, Lucy's hips rocking with every movement he made. Her hands clenched and unclenched in the sheets, Lucy's mouth open and loud. It didn't surprise him; Lucy was just as big a talker as he was. Pushing her legs a little wider, Natsu slipped a second finger into Lucy's inviting body. Lucy's moan turned painful for a moment, slightly objecting the addition. The little protest instantly stopped Natsu from moving, Lucy groaning at the loss of warmth his fingers produced inside of her.

"Natsu, move," She breathed out, wiggling her hips slightly to get what she wanted.

"How can you say that when you just made that noise?!" Lucy blinked at the ceiling, surprised to hear slightly panic in Natsu's voice.

"But it's okay now. I've just never used more than one finger before."

"…You've touched yourself?" The fingers started to move again, Lucy sighing in pleasure while her toes curled in the sheets. If she was feeling embarrassed about the topic at hand, her endorphins were hiding it.

"Sometimes." She gasped when he spread his fingers inside of her, leaving her momentarily breathless. Natsu was good with his hands, no matter what the task was. The way his fingers slid inside of her was making Lucy moan at every stroke.

"Was I home?" Lucy didn't notice the slight growl to his voice, but did catch on to the increased pace of his fingers. She spread her legs wider, desperate to feel more of the pleasure he was giving her. She had to swallow a pleased moan when his thumb brushed her clit, making her entire body spasm.

"Ma-Maybe!" She choked out, trying her best to answer him. She prayed he didn't ask her more questions, not sure if she could speak with his thumb fully rolling over her clit. It was a teasing motion that made her hips jerk up, rubbing shamelessly into his fingers. A fire was streaming through her body, and Lucy couldn't stop herself from crying out his name. "Natsu!"

"Fuck, Luce. I can't stop thinking about you touching yourself. Now I know how to really get fired up." It was the last thing she heard before a tongue was sliding over her sensitive bud. Her hands grabbed his hair, pulling slightly as her pleasure wound even tighter in her stomach. This feeling was surreal. Like his tongue was made to please her, Lucy couldn't stop her hips from rolling with every lick he bestowed on her. His fingers never relented, a third one being added as Natsu gently sucked on her clit. The pressure was too much, and Lucy was sure she was going to pass out before she came. How embarrassing would that be?

Her thinking was derailed when Natsu quickened his mouth's speed, ending any chance of Lucy holding back. Screaming his name, Lucy's legs clamped around Natsu's head while she rode out the wave that he had throw her into. Her back arched high, her toes digging into the mattress for balance. Despite her reaction Natsu kept licking, his fingers barely slowing. It was only when Lucy's body shuttered violently that Natsu stopped, looking up at the dazed girl above him. She felt his heat sear her while he crawled up her body, placing slow kisses in his wake. Even with his slowed movement, Lucy had barely caught her breath when he lazily kissed her lips. He pulled back after a few seconds, his smile almost too bright for Lucy to look at.

"Have you ever masturbated on the couch?" She wanted to hit him, but her energy was momentarily zapped. Instead, she threw her arm around his neck to pull him back down to her.

"Why do you want to know this?" He nuzzled the crook of her neck, his hips unconsciously rubbing against the side of her leg. She could feel his hardness pulsing, but he had yet to ask her for assistance.

"It's just really hot. I mean, wouldn't you get turned on if you walked in on me doing that?" She tried to think about his question, her face lighting up at the dirty image. She knew what his face looked like aroused, and thinking of him stroking himself…

"Th-that's weird Natsu! Don't ask me stuff like that." He beamed and gently kissed her shoulder, hissing when Lucy slightly moved her leg. "So-Sorry!"

"Don't sweat it." But even as he said that, she could feel the effect on his body. He had really done a number on himself pleasing her, never mind questioning what she did when she was alone. Yet he still didn't ask a thing from Lucy. How selfish did he think she was? She may have been a virgin, but she knew she was smart enough to figure this whole sex thing out. Determination filled her body, giving her enough energy to push him onto his back. He looked up at her and blinked, before combing his hand through her messy hair. "You look really cute after an orgasm."

"Shouldn't I be sexy? Or even hot? Cute doesn't really seem to fit the scenario." She wrinkled her nose at his description, knowing it probably proved his point further. She let her hair fall around Natsu's head as she leaned down, kissing him softly. His need for release made him take quick control of the kiss, but he refrained from touching her again. After the soul catching kiss, Lucy pulled back and swung her leg over his hips. Natsu hissed again when his cock slid against her warmth, feeling the effects of her orgasm.

"Are yo-you trying to tease me to death?" Natsu asked, Lucy wiggling into a comfortable spot.

"No, but if you feel like you're going to need a hospital, I can stop." Instantly his hands were on her hips, both moaning when it caused her to slide against him slowly. Breathing through clenched teeth, Natsu shook his head.

"Please, don't go." It was rare to ever hear Natsu beg. His ego was impossible to beat down. But Lucy knew this was a different Natsu beneath her. She nodded in understanding, kissing him again. Though making out was nice, Lucy knew Natsu needed more by the way his hips continue to thrust toward her. Sliding slowly down, Lucy placed a soft kiss over his heart before giving his nipple a bite. He groaned in pain, but didn't complain. He knew it was payback for the hickey he gave her. Lucy moved lower, tracing every crevice of his tone body. He was seriously unable to collect fat, even after everything he ate. Maybe he had a little dragon inside of him that he was feeding. Giggling at the thought, Lucy also gave his stomach a lick and watched the muscles contract in need. When she heard a moan pushed through gritted teeth, Lucy finally focused on the task at hand.

Lucy would have been lying if she didn't admit his size scared her. Then again, she didn't have much to compare it to. Was it normal? Or was Natsu some monster who was going to tear her apart? She shook her head, taking a slow breath before reaching out to touch him. She felt his thighs go tense underneath her spread legs, Natsu moaning quietly when her hands encased his shaft. The skin was softer than the rest of him, and Lucy marveled at the texture difference while she started her slow movement. His hips rammed into her hand, making her also lose her balance on his legs. Instinctively her hand clenched, making Natsu shout out in discomfort.

"That's attached you know!"

"Then don't move so much!"

"Says the one who nearly popped my head between her thi—OW!" Lucy decreased the pressure on him, glaring at him before she started to move her hand again. It didn't take long for Natsu's breathing to pick up again, the guy silently watching her fingers work. It was a little intimidating to have him stare, but the desire in his half-lidded eyes proved that she was doing it right. Leaning forward a bit, Lucy changed the angel of her wrist. Natsu's head rolled back onto the bed while his body shuddered.

"Lucy…" The way he groaned her name had her face in flames, but excited her at the same time. Nobody had ever said her name with such passion. It was like his voice started another fire in her lower belly. Wanting to hear her name again, Lucy started to increase the pace of her hand. Both his breathing and moaning increased, his hips thrusting into her hand again. Her boobs gently jumped with each movement, an image that did not go unnoticed by Natsu. She could feel his eyes watching her body, which almost made her feel self-conscious. Lucy knew she was attractive, but to have Natsu stare at her was a little nerve-racking. What if he found something he didn't like? Could she handle that?

Deciding it was time to switch her position, Lucy slid in-between his legs and kneeled on the bed. With her hand starting to cramp up, Lucy knew the next step. She had read enough of Erza's erotic books to know what a blowjob was. But before she could even lean in, Natsu's hand was yanking her body back over his own.

"As much as I want _that _from you, we can't tonight." Knowing his rejection was confusing; Natsu rubbed his hips against hers and moaned at the contact. "I think I'd burst if you touch me with your mouth."

"Really?" His shiver alone at the mention of her mouth should have been proof enough. Now it was Lucy's turn to feel cocky. Natsu, who could probably destroy half a town with the strength he possessed, was turned into a hormonal pile of mush because of Lucy. And it was only her first time! So wrapped up in mentally congratulating herself, Lucy didn't notice that Natsu had her on her back again. When she did get her bearings, the mood dipped into a much more serious tone.

"Are you ready for this, Lucy?" She hesitated to answer, knowing it would be painful. Erza had taken it upon herself to sit herself and Levy down to talk about the 'birds and bees' their senior year of high school. Levy left with a headache and Lucy scarred for life. Seriously, what kind of 'birds' were Erza watching? But even with the eccentric girl's way of looking at sex, Lucy had gotten one thing from it. The first time would be painful. Lucy looked up at Natsu's concerned face, feeling every muscle in his body trembling with restraint.

"What if I say no?" She whispered, unable to bring her voice to full volume. He smiled and gently brushed his knuckles against her cheek.

"Then we don't do it." It was a simple answer that Lucy couldn't accept.

"But you're in pain." It was obvious what his body wanted, and yet Natsu scoffed like she was seeing things.

"Nothing I can't handle. Any guy who tries to guilt their girl into sex shouldn't be allowed to live." He seemed angered at the thought, taking a breath and focusing again. "Really, I'd rather have you say no if you're not sure. The last thing I want is to wake up tomorrow and have you doubt us because my dick wanted some Lucy time."

"…'Lucy time?' " He ran his hand through his hair, showing her he was all nerves.

"Sorry. I just…I don't want to do this if it means I lose you." That was much more comforting. Lucy shook her head, trying to ease the guy over her.

"You'll never lose me, Natsu." Her eyes widened when a look of relief filled his features. Did he really worry about stuff like that? It made her lower lip tremble even as he laughed.

"I sure as hell hope not. We can do this when you're ready; I'm in no rush to see you in pain anyways." He began to shift away from her, only to be stopped by a hand on his wrist. Looking back, his eyes widened at the sight of tears in her eyes. "Lucy! What did I do? Shit, I thought I— "

"If I've got to be in pain with anyone, I want it to be you. So please, stay with me," She whispered, placing her hands on his face and smiling. He winced at her tears, not being able to look her in the eye while he seemed to fight with himself. Finally his desire to take the final step won, and he leaned over her again. Her shaky hand reached out for his, which he easily gave while sliding into her slowly.

"What makes you think I'd ever leave you behind?" The kiss he gave her muffled the sound of her cry as he pushed through her virgin barrier. It was a tight squeeze that made him want to move. God, did he want to move. His head fell down to the bed next to hers, squeezing her hand slightly to show he was still there. When he felt her squeeze back twice as strong, he couldn't help but smile. Lucy was nothing if not resilient in the face of danger. She had never given up, a quality that had attracted him to her in the first place. That made him fall in love with her. And here, once again, Lucy was giving it her all with a brave face.

"I lo-love you." Her voice was soft, and Natsu nuzzled her ear to show he heard her clearly.

"I love you too, Lucy." It wasn't long after that Lucy's body gently wiggled. Natsu tried to ignore it, counting backwards from one million. Natsu could never be too careful when it came to Lucy. When it happened a second time, he swallowed a moan but kept on counting. Finally, he lost count when Lucy yanked on his hair and told him to 'move it'. Natsu pushed up onto his arms, testing the waters with a gentle thrust of his hips. Both hissed at the movement, Natsu taking it as a good sign to try the motion again. Hoisting one of Lucy's legs up to his hip, Natsu gave another squeeze to her hand before he started to move. Lucy could still feel twinges of pain, but ignored them when seeing the pleasure etched into her roommate's face. Feeling his entire body shake while he moved into her made the last trails of pain burst into pleasure. She cried out as she reached for him with her free hand, yanking him down for an open mouthed kiss. Natsu increased his tempo at the feel of her tongue, knowing he could never get enough of Lucy. This was the only drug he needed. The little noises she made when he thrust into her. The feel of her body around him. And the beautiful picture she made as she cried out his name was all he would ever need.

Not bothering to ask, Natsu rolled over while keeping their hands locked together. Lucy fumbled a bit, but gained balance when resting her other hand on his chest. She gasped as he sunk in deeper from this angle, making her entire body shake. Natsu ground his hips into her, mesmerized by the way her boobs bounced with each roll of her hips. Lucy could barely think straight as she moved, not knowing if the noises she were making were words or simple ways to egg Natsu on. She could feel the burning in her legs from the strain of the position, which caused a whine to form in her throat. Hearing her distress, Natsu used his free hand to help her hips along, loving how her clit teasingly rubbed along his happy trail. Lucy clamped down on him as she paused, the feeling too much for her to take. Teetering so close to the end, Lucy wanted to hold out just a little longer.

"Wa-Wait a second. I-I'm going to cum." His hand tightened on her hip at her admission before he leaned up and kissed her.

"It's kind of hot when you talk dirty." He grinned at her blush, loving how her eyes looked with red cheeks. She squirmed over him, making Natsu groan into her mouth.

"Really?" She quietly asked, her tone breathless from how amazing he felt inside of her.

"Makes me want to take control." She heard him whisper against her lips. A second later she was back on the bed, her knees against the sheets while their conjoined hands held her up. She looked back to see him enter her from behind, making Lucy cry out. It was painful for him to re-enter so quickly, and Natsu instantly paused at her pained noise. She could feel his stomach twitching against her ass, but he didn't complain as she squirmed to get comfortable. She gave a pleasured squeak when his head brushed something wonderful inside of her, and Natsu didn't waste time in starting his thrusts again. If she had thought the second position was great, the third one was perfection! She could feel his entire body pounding into her, bringing her to level of pleasures she couldn't remember talking about with Erza. Her body swayed with the force, her arms shaking from how badly she wanted to drop to the bed. Looking down, she smiled at the way Natsu's hand laid protectively over hers, his fingers perfectly fitting in the gaps of her own. She panted out his name, enjoying the feel of his love bites sliding down her back. It was like he couldn't touch enough of her body. Natsu, she decided, was made for sex. While other men would tire, Natsu seemed to only increase in energy. Like he was feeding off their sex.

Natsu's fingers brushed over her clit, and moments later Lucy was thrown into her second orgasm. Her arms gave out as she whimpered his name, shoving herself back onto Natsu's cock without warning. The surprised must have caught him off guard, because she heard her name in a choked cry before something hit her from the inside. He continued to push into her for a few moments before she felt his sweaty forehead rest against her back. In truth she wanted to lie down, but didn't want to move while he was still inside of her. The last thing she needed was to damage that specific part of him.

"You're going to kill me." For some reason, Lucy smiled at that. She always thought Natsu would be the death of her. Apparently, he thought the same way.

"You're really heavy," She replied, trying to hint at him to get off of her.

"It's all muscle!"

"Okay, still breaking my spine here." He gave a hard nip to her exposed back before pulling out of her, flopping to the side of the bed. She grimaced at the fluids inside of her, trying to ignore them as she moved onto her back. Sex was great but messy, and she would have moved straight to the shower if her body wasn't so sore. She hoped this feeling only happened the first time during sex; otherwise she wouldn't be able to enjoy it as much.

"Hey, Lucy? I know it's kind of late, but…you're on the pill, right?" Lucy blinked before looking at the ceiling, realizing that the conversation about protection never came up. Everything was heat of the moment, and neither thought to ask.

"Yes." There was a short pause before she felt Natsu's head leaning against her shoulder.

"Thank God. Kids with you sounds totally doable, just not the first time we have sex. Or the second. Maybe as a celebration for the hundredth time." Lucy laughed then kicked the sheets out from under her, wiggling them up just enough to cover her chest. She turned to face Natsu, who was wrestling with his own side of the sheets. Once he got under, the agitated guy turned his attention to her.

"What?"

"Your sheets ruined my after sex glow." She smacked his forehead, laughing at the dumbfounded face he made. "What the hell was that for?"

"For blaming your lack of intelligence on my sheets." There was a pause before she added more. "And for waiting that long to tell me how you felt."

"I didn't hear you chasing after me either! Maybe you should take some pointers from Juvia." He started to laugh at his own joke, making Lucy scowl.

"Alright then, _Gray_." The instant she said it, his laughter was gone. Yanking the sheets up to his eyes, he glared at the girl who gave him amazing sex.

"Don't compare me to the stripper."

"Then don't compare me to Juvia."

"I already told you nobody compares to you; don't you listen to me talk?" He grumbled into the sheets as he looked away from her to stare at the darkening room. By now, Lucy could only guess it was well into Sunday morning. Knowing that Natsu was trying to hold onto his anger, Lucy curled into his side and yawned.

"I'm going to bed, Natsu. You can join me, or continue to pout like a child. Either way, goodnight." She kissed his cheek softly, turning away from him to stare at the wall. Though she was playing it off as normal, Lucy's mind was racing at breakneck speeds. They had sex. Not only sex, but admitted they loved each other during it. Did that mean that it was making love? She wasn't sure what the difference was; she had just lost her virginity after all!

And yet, technically, they weren't dating. They were still just roommates. She relaxed a bit when feeling Natsu's arm slink around her waist, yanking her back into his warmth. Okay, so he was still happy with what they had done. That was a good sign, right?

She knew, as she drifted off to sleep, only time would tell.

**How was that? I hope that you guys enjoyed it, since I had many of you waiting. There is still one more chapter, with two bonus scenes in it! So, what will happen with Lucy and Natsu? How will Lucy get her project done? What problems does she face with Levy and Gajeel? And who else needs a cold shower now? Find out Next time!**

**Chapter Six: Love; Gajeel Style!**


	6. Love Gajeel Style!

**Hello everyone! I can't believe my first Fairy Tail story is coming to an end. It was short and sweet, but I'm happy that so many of you enjoyed it. There is a lot I want to tell you, but I'll wait until the end to do my spiel. For now, enjoy the last chapter of "Your Life's Art"!**

**Disclaimer: I own the words! Thaaat's about it. -.- **

**Special Warning****: After the end of the chapter, there are two BONUS scenes that went on while Lucy and Natsu's first make-out happened. It was a request from ****CalaveraCandiedSkull,** **who wrote one of the stories that inspired me to give NaLu a shot. The first one is Jerza, and the second is Gruvia. Hope you enjoy them! **

**Chapter Six: Love; Gajeel Style!**

"Why me?" This time, it wasn't Lucy asking. Laughing at Levy's loud groan, Lucy sat on the bench next to Levy. In the same spot they had met that fateful Monday two weeks ago, Levy seemed to be having a rough start to the week.

"Gajeel problems?" When the groaning girl covered her face with her hands, Lucy knew she hit the mark. "What happened now?"

"He…kissed me." The mumble was so soft, Lucy had almost missed it. Thinking about the statement, Lucy couldn't see why Levy was so distraught. Her question was answered when Levy pulled her head out of her hands and looked to Lucy. "He kissed me and we had sex, Lucy!"

"Whoa what?! When?"

"Friday night." It had been three days and Levy was just telling her now? Lucy had called the girl the second she woke up Sunday morning! Trying to be supportive, Lucy shoved down her irritation and smiled.

"Th-That's great!" When Levy stared at her in pain, Lucy tried again. "That's not great?"

"No, it's not _great_. He kissed me after telling me he was offered a job six hundred miles from Magnolia."

"What?!" Levy rubbed her arm as she looked away, wincing.

"Juvia's words had been bugging me all week, so I finally told Gajeel I needed to talk to him. I wanted to just know what he really felt about me. And since you and Natsu had figured it out, I thought maybe I should give it a try. He said he had to tell me something too, so we agreed to dinner at my place. Before I could even open my mouth, he told me about the job offer. He was thinking about taking it!" Now Lucy understood why Levy was so upset. "I told him to take the job, that it would be good for his career. There was no point in telling him how I felt if he was planning on leaving anyways. Gajeel stayed quiet for a bit, and then he kissed me. Lucy, it felt really good! Everything that I had wanted from him. I couldn't stop kissing him. One thing led to another and we slept together. He even left a hickey on my neck."

"I wasn't going to say anything about it, but it's hard to miss." It was still that dark after three days? Gajeel certainly seemed to like rough sex. Or at least claiming his territory, since Levy always had a few guys chasing her tail.

"When I woke up the next morning, he had already left. He wrote me a note saying he was going to be gone for a few days, since he had to talk to the company about their offer. I think he's really going to take the job."

"Tell him not to go then! I'm sure if you call him, he'll answer." Levy made a face at Lucy's suggestion, looking down to her feet in guilt.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"Why would he want to stay here? There's nothing for him but wasted time and money. All we do is fight, which causes him more stress than he needs. The college has offered him a professor position next year, but he's not going to take it. Not when he's got a job that will pay him twice as much."

"But what about your feelings for him? Or the fact you two finally had sex? Don't you think that'd count for something?"

"I can't ask him to stay when there's such a great opportunity for him somewhere else!" Levy shouted, closing her eyes tightly in anger. Lucy knew the frustration of being unable to express feelings to the one person who needed to hear it. She had just been in that situation a week ago.

"You're a great opportunity for him too, Levy. At having a happy life. Sure, it may not pay as much, but Gajeel seems more comfortable here than in any other environment. Money's never really been a problem for him. You know he loves working with Professor Makarov, even if he can't admit it. Most importantly, he would be miserable without you by his side. You just need to tell him how you feel."

"And what should I say? That he should stay because I've had a crush on him for two years? That I can't see my life without his annoying scowls and stupid protectiveness?" Levy looked up to Lucy, tears welling in her eyes. Lucy went to speak, stopping when something tall caught her gaze behind Levy. Not noticing her friend's distraction, Levy fisted her hands on her lap and closed her eyes. "That yeah, he's annoying and rude. He picks fight with me for no reasons and makes me mad because he enjoys my flushed face. That his rare smile makes my heart race and every time he takes care of me I feel special? Do you think he'd believe a word that came out of my mouth if I did say that?"

"Levy—"

"That idiot wouldn't know love if it came up and Natsu-punched him in the face! He wouldn't believe that maybe I seriously am starting to think I may love him…possibly!"

"Who are you to say what I'd believe, shrimp?" Lucy stayed quiet when Gajeel's voice cut off Levy's love-rant, catching the petite girl off guard. Before she had time to turn around, Levy was lifted off the bench by the back of her sundress and into the air. Levy turned her head to Gajeel, who had his traditional scowl on despite the heavy blush on Levy's face.

"Ga-Gajeel!"

"You're a pain in the ass to find, even on such a small campus." Levy's eyes lowered at his comment, biting her lower lip to keep herself from crying. Lucy felt for the girl, knowing this was probably the worst way to confess to the person you love. At least she had known Natsu was in the room. Gajeel kept his strong gaze on her, his eyes narrowing a bit as he spoke. "I can't imagine how hard it'd be to track you down from six hundred miles away."

"I wouldn't be your problem anymore," Levy muttered, trying to hold onto any self-dignity she had. The older guy sighed before closing his eyes.

"I asked Makarov to have an office with a view. Got a weird look from the old man, but he didn't ask much." Gajeel scratched the side of his temple as he spoke, trying to act casual despite the wide eyed look Levy gave him. Finally he looked back at the girl he was holding, speaking gruffly. "Let's get three things straight. One, from now on, I get to threaten any guy who touches you. You're my problem, nobody else's."

"Hold on a second—"

"Two," Gajeel continued, not giving the girl time to argue. "I have a cat named Pantherlily. He will destroy anything you leave in the living room of my apartment. That is his territory; he has earned it."

"…Okay," Levy said, realizing this conversation was going in a direction she liked. He talked like he expected her at his apartment a lot…

"The most important is three. You stop going to bunny girl regarding things you should talk to me about. It took her six years to get a relationship going with the idiot. I don't want to know what garbage she'd put in your head about ours."

"Even just sitting here, I get attacked," Lucy muttered, though more to herself than the two locked in their own conversation. Levy stared at Gajeel quietly, which seemed to unnerve the guy more so than her yelling.

"What's with the staring problem?"

"You said 'ours'." It was three simple words, which could really mean anything, but it made Gajeel quickly drop Levy from his grasp and step back.

"What about it? If you don't want that, then just tell me now." Even though he barked the response out, Lucy could see the tiniest blush on Gajeel's face. Levy noticed too, her smile suddenly appearing again.

"You want to be with me?" Gajeel quickly turned away from her, crossing his arms while looking at the sky.

"Someone's got to make sure you don't get yourself in trouble. I took on that responsibility the day after your presentation; I don't intend to quit. Ever. You and your annoying group of friends will have graduated by the time I start next year, so there is no conflict of interest. You're stuck with me until you tell me to leave. And even then, I'll probably stay. I'm not letting a small fry like you dictate where I go and don't go—hey!" He didn't expect Levy to jump into his back, hugging him from behind. He stumbled a bit, glaring at the happy girl behind him. "I'm not a playground here!"

"Shut up, you big lug nut," Levy mumbled into the back of his shirt, squeezing him tighter. He didn't say her name, and not once did he give the indication that he loved her. Like Lucy said, it would take him years to even hint at that possibility. Still, Levy couldn't have been happier. Somehow, someway, she had just started a relationship with the frowning man in front of her.

"You're such a handful." Even as he said it, Gajeel rested his hand on Levy's head while looking back to the sky. Lucy couldn't stop herself from squealing at the scene that unfolded before her, knowing Gajeel would probably yell at her for it later. Not giving him the time, Lucy grabbed her stuff and ran past the two.

"I've got to go to class Levy. Good job Gajeel, and congrats on the relationship!"

"Hey, bunny girl—"

"Thanks Lucy!" She heard Levy shout back. Lucy knew she was cutting it close on time, but there was no way she could have interrupted that scene. Even if it mean Mira's wrath for the rest of her life. Not liking the sound of that, Lucy ran even faster up the stairs and into the classroom. She smashed into someone, causing her to fall back onto the ground. Instantly sprouting tears from hitting her butt so hard, Lucy whined before pushing herself back up to her feet.

"For a woman who is so tiny, you sack like a football player." She gasped when she saw Loke on the ground, completely flattened. Moving over to help him up, Lucy apologized as the two made it to their seats.

"I'm sorry; I just thought I was going to be late! And since Professor Mira cancelled class last week, I wanted to make sure I was on time." Their teacher had left a note on the door the week before, explaining a family emergency had come up. Though class wasn't held, she left the drop-box open to turn in their assignments.

"Or maybe you're a little excited to see if your sexy drawing of Natsu won you the teacher's attention?" At the dirty way Loke described it, Lucy scrunched her nose at him.

"The picture, Loke, did not have to be sexual." Professor Mira's voice cut off any response Lucy was going to make. Looking up at the young teacher, Professor Mira dropped her stuff onto her desk while gaining the attention of everyone in the class. "Good afternoon class."

"Good afternoon!"

"Most of you completed the project I asked of you wonderfully. I saw lover's eyes, tousled hair, and everything else that make's the human body enticing. However, appreciation of the naked body is not always about sex. Sometimes, it's a snapshot of the innocence or vulnerability that one has when exposed completely to the world." A picture was pulled from Professor Mira's bag, the teacher continuing to talk while she pinned it to the wall. "It can be passionate in a way that nobody but the artist feels. Or, it could be filled with enough emotion that an entire room is brought to silence with a single glance."

And silence the room it did. Lucy's eyes widened as she stared at the drawing in front of her. Or, to be precise, _her _drawing. Lucy had awoken the next morning before Natsu, who had always been a deep sleeper. After making the few calls to her friends about what had happened the night before, Lucy sat on the side of the bed and watched Natsu sleep. Before she even realized what she was doing, Lucy had started to draw his naked body without the embarrassment or nerves she had the night before. There was just something so relaxing about Natsu when he slept. The drawing came so naturally to her, that within two hours she had completed it. Fearing Natsu would yell at her for drawing him sleeping (it made him look more feminine than the first picture), Lucy barely had time to look at her own creation before she tucked it away with her school supplies.

But now, staring at the picture, Lucy felt warmth fill her entire body. With one leg entangled in the sheet of the bed, Natsu's sleeping face seemed angelic despite the night they had before. One hand rested next to his head while the other across his stomach, focusing some attention to his happy trail below. His mouth was set in a serene smile with a few strands of hair resting over his forehead. The morning light that had poured through her window gave the drawing an ethereal glow, something which she had never noticed before. The lines were sharp, and there were no hesitation marks that would indicate she had lost drive or motivation in the piece. In all honesty, Lucy didn't know she could draw so well. Natsu helped her, even when he didn't realize it.

"One of you captured the true meaning of the project. You found what makes you the best artist that you can be. Inspiration. With that talent you will go far." Mira glanced to Lucy, a smile filling her lips. "Don't ever let that passion slip away from you, because I will be awaiting your next masterpiece."

* * *

"Natsu!"Lucy threw her keys on the coffee table as she ran through the living room. "Natsu answer me!" She peeked through the kitchen to see if he was in there, but there was no sign of him. Her scowl increased before she was yanked back into a hard body, arms circling her tightly.

"What's up, Lucy?" She turned in his arms, his bright grin only making her mood better. She laughed and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"My piece got picked this week!" She squeaked as he picked her up, swinging her around in a circle.

"I told you I'd be the better pick for your project! Gray would have never beaten me!"

"Yeah, you're probably right." He blinked at her soft smile, slowly placing her back on her feet. Still her gaze didn't waver from him, gently sliding her hands up to cup his cheeks. She felt them warm under her fingertips, but he didn't pull away. It had been over a week since they had confessed their feelings to each other. Though she was thrilled to know Natsu was in love with her, neither one of them had said it to the other since. And worse, he hadn't asked her out. He had no problem with sex, which they had experimented with every day since. They were like bunnies in heat, half of the time Lucy initiating it. It helped with the stress she had been feeling from the project. Not knowing what the outcome would be for an entire week made Lucy feel more strained than normal. Sex was a good release for her, and Natsu sure as hell wasn't complaining. Lucy was surprised she could even walk after the trick Natsu had used that morning. Natsu was a quick learner when it came to things that Lucy liked, and he made sure to show off what he learned the next time they went at it. Even in sex, Natsu was always taking care of Lucy before himself.

Sex, however amazing it was, didn't mean a relationship. Lucy knew that.

"You've got this funny look on your face right now, and I'm not really sure if I'm supposed to say something or you just have to pee." Natsu seriously had a knack for ruining any moment possible. Lucy sighed and dropped her head, keeping her hands on his face to show she wasn't done.

"Natsu, sometimes you just say things…" She shook her head, knowing she needed to keep focus on what Mira had said to her. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him with a serious face. "I have to tell you something."

"Is it bad?" She shook her head again before Natsu picked her up, slowly walking over to their couch and laying down on it. It was Lucy's turn to blush when she realized she was straddling his hips, but he was too focused to notice. "So then tell me what's going on."

"My professor really liked my piece today. She told me that…" Lucy hesitated, not sure if she should go on with the conversation. Would it scare him away? Was she moving too fast? The last thing she wanted was to make him feel like he had to stay with her after a few mind-blowing rounds of sex. But he said he loved her, right? And he said it first!

"What'd she say?"

"That you're the reason I draw so passionately. You're my…my muse, I guess. A-and that I shouldn't let you go. Because if you leave, I'll lose my inspiration to draw!" She quickly added the last part, knowing the entire response came out weird. Nothing like some girl calling you her 'muse' to freak you out a little bit. Still, Natsu seemed normal as he nodded his head in understanding.

"So then what?"

"That's it."

"Oh, okay." He paused, searching her face for a few moments before he looked to the coffee table. "Hey, do we still have that Chinese menu lying around? I haven't eaten all day."

"W-What?"

"You know; a menu? It's like, a piece of paper with—" She smacked the side of his head and glared down at him.

"That's not what I meant you idiot!"

"Well then I'm sort of lost in our conversation. Did you want Italian instead?"

"No! I don't care about the food."

"Then you talk in too many riddles! If Chinese was okay, why did you hit me?"

"Don't you get what I was saying? I was telling you that I don't want you to ever leave me!" She yelled, earning a weird look from Natsu before he pushed his body into a sitting position. She squeaked when she slid into his lap, but a hand on her back kept her from falling off of him. Natsu pressed their foreheads together, keeping his eyes open to stare into hers.

"Well duh, Luce. I don't ever want to leave. And if I am going somewhere, it's with you." Lucy looked away, but kept her forehead against his while he laughed. "Even if we're dating, you're still my best friend."

"If?" She asked quietly.

"Sorry, when. It's got to be when, because I love you too much for it to be an if!" Well, she got one thing she wanted from him. Even though he had said it to her multiple times that night, it still felt amazing a week later. She ran her hand through his hair, resting it on the back of his neck.

"When, then?"

"I was just kind of waiting until after your project. You've been so stressed out this week! And I'm not sure if you know, but you get very scary when you're stressed. You nearly bit Gray's head off at trivia."

"I…did?" Lucy faintly remembered a scared look on the stoic boy's face, but she couldn't exactly remember why.

"Hell yeah! I've been making fun of him all week because of it. Erza said we should just leave you alone until you found out about your art project. The only time we really talked was when we had sex. Not that I minded! You were really good, Lucy, and that time when you grabbed the whipped cream…" She looked up at him slowly, blushing when she felt his body twitch under her. He leaned forward, kissing her gently while rubbing the lower part of her back. She relaxed into his kiss, his fingers turning her body into jell-o. How did he manage to do that so easily? She was just getting into the kiss when he pulled away, grinning. "I guess I should ask now before we christen the couch."

"We just had sex this morning!" He ignored her protest as he laid her out on the couch, crawling between her legs before she could close them. He rested his hands on either side of her head, keeping himself perched above her.

"So how about it, Luce? Want to be my girlfriend?" She knew that it was what she had been waiting to hear all week, but she still blushed.

"Of course, Natsu. I love you." He gave her a thumbs up, and Lucy felt herself relax. She giggled when he nipped along her neck, then easily gave in to the passionate kiss sprung upon her. Even though the past two weeks had put their relationship through the ringer, Natsu was still her best friend and the guy she was in love with. He was an idiot, but that was okay to her. He was hers, and that made everything else perfect.

"Wait, how did you finish your picture without me modeling? …Lucy? Luuuuucy!"

Well, almost.

* * *

**BONUS SCENE NUMBER #1**

Erza Scarlet was a woman who never let fear rule her. She had faced several hardships in her life, and never backed down from a challenge. It was just in her nature. She was a leader to all, an inspiration to most, and even an idol to a few people she had met in life. Erza never let it get to her head, however, and stayed humble when complimented on her intelligence, courage, or martial arts skills. She was, in many people's view, unbreakable.

"Your apartment is lovely." But the challenge Lucy's words had placed in front of her was more than she thought she could handle.

"Thank you," Erza replied politely, watching Jellal move through the apartment. She stayed by the door, unsure how Lucy's comment would play out through the night. Though she was slightly upset with Lucy's way of bringing it up, the drunk girl wasn't wrong. Erza wanted to know where Jellal's feelings stood. Years had gone past without any movement in their relationship, and Erza had tried to be patient. But his confusing signals of embracing intimacy one day, and pushing it away the next, was wearing on her. The unbreakable girl had a slight crack in her armor, and she was scared Jellal would eventually break her spirit completely. She needed to face her fears tonight.

"Do you live with anyone?" He asked, admiring the art on her walls. She shook her head, fiddling with the black clutch in her hand.

"My roommate dropped out of school, and I was allowed to stay alone because of my consecutive academic performance." She saw a faint smile rise on his lips, which made her blush. Jellal was more than handsome when he smiled.

"You were always the smart one of our group." Silence followed after his comment, and Jellal winced before looking to her bookcase. When she saw her friend stop in front of her photo album, Erza quickly moved toward him.

"Wait, that—"

"It's the same one from when you were little." She stopped at his comment, looking away at the pain that edged his voice. He remembered it. She heard him pick the album out of its case before he moved, slowly seating himself on the couch. She followed suit, her knee brushing the side of his when she sat down. She watched him flip through the photos, something that they had done a million times when they were little. Sometimes it was the only thing to keep Erza from crying herself to sleep. "I forgot how cute you were when you were younger."

"D-Don't say things like that." She blushed at his smile, pushing her hair behind her ear to distract herself.

"I used to tell you that all the time at the orphanage." And he had. Jellal had been the one who always comforted her when she cried, laying in bed with her while asking her questions about the photos she had.

"It's different now."

"Yes, you're right. Now, you're beautiful. I never thought I'd get to see you again after…" After their own version of hell. Erza was only twelve when everything precious in her life was shattered. Her friends, family, and home were all destroyed in a war she never wanted to be a part of. She was brought to an orphanage that took in any of the surviving children from the raid. There she met many other kids her age, including Jellal. She found him cute from the first day she met him, admiring his positive attitude and hopeful smile. Being with Jellal gave Erza hope that everything was going to be okay.

But the people there were far from nice, and used the children to work as slaves in their vegetable fields. There were punished for moving too slow, or not being able to keep awake after several days of labor. Anyone who cried was whipped or beaten. Those who got sick or became incapacitated from work injuries weren't to be found the next morning at roll call. Their screams that woke the other children at night were the last trace the orphanage owners left of them. There were no investigations, because all of their loved ones were gone. If they were lucky, they were fed once a day. They were subjected to torture with no hope of escape.

A year they went on like this. The final straw was when Erza took the blame for a younger child's mistake, earning her a severe beating. She lost sight in one of her eyes from the attack, and in later years had to wear an eye-patch to regain the ability to see. She was returned a bloody mess for the other children to try and salvage before roll call. One look at Erza's beaten body made Jellal decide it was time to break out. The two of them spent weeks planning their escape, watching and learning the habits of their owners. On the perfect night, Jellal lead as many of the children as he could away from their own hell. Jellal held tightly onto Erza's hand, promising her he would make sure she would never be beaten again. The plan led them through a hole in the side of the orphanage home, down through the fields and out on the open highway. It was a twenty mile walk to the closest town, and then they were free. Hope was in every one of their eyes when they reached the pastures without alarming their abusers, but disappeared quickly when emerging from the fields.

Standing between them and the highway were the two orphanage owners and a hatchet. Some of the younger kids started to cry when realizing there was dried blood caked on the sharp grove of the weapon. Erza hid behind Jellal, knowing their plan had failed. But when Jellal pushed her toward the kids, and told her to keep going, Erza was more scared for Jellal than herself. She could see his knees shaking, despite the brave look he put on for the younger kids. She wanted to stay with him, but the other children needed her guidance to the town. Only she and Jellal had been there before. Taking one last look at the boy she owed her life to, Erza turned around and never looked back.

Jellal never talked about that night, or how he got out of the situation alive.

"You've grown up as well, Jellal."

"Ah, have I?" He asked, sending her another smile that made her self-consciously look away.

"Y-Yes. Any woman would be happy to be by your side." She watched his fingers trail over the faded pictures she had managed to hold onto despite the wild escape. The photo album was the only thing she had left of her family.

"Would that make you happy, Erza?" She stayed silent at his question, knowing what he was referring to. It was bound to come up eventually. A little flutter of panic filled her stomach, but she tried not to show it while placing her hand over his.

"It's been a long journey for the both of us. Companionship is something that would make anyone happy."

"That's not what I'm asking." She knew that. Closing her eyes, Erza stood to create space between them. She was stopped by a soft grip on her wrist. If she wanted to, she could shake the hold off with little effort. The hold he had on her heart, however, was another story. "Was what Lucy said correct? Do you…love me?"

"M-m-my friend was extremely drunk tonight."

"Still, I can't help but feel that she speaks more truthful that way," He replied, making Erza lower her head to hide her face. To have her inner most feelings thrown out in such an embarrassing way was not how the headstrong woman was planning on telling her childhood savior. But here it was, unable to be taken back. She closed her eyes when she heard him stand, but still refused to answer his question. Even when he turned her body toward his, Erza only met his gaze with a silent stare. "Answer me."

"No."

"The Erza I know doesn't run from a challenge."

"And I stand here still." It was true; she wasn't running away. She kept her shoulder squared with his and refused to let her blush chase her pride away. Jellal's obvious irritation showed in both his crinkled nose and raised voice.

"But you won't give me an answer!"

"What good would a response do? You've heard Lucy's words; you say yourself they are truth. I won't embarrass myself more by saying I love you." The statement was contradictory; she knew it was admitting her feelings. She just couldn't get herself to say it in the conventional way. Erza wasn't Lucy or Juvia; being love struck did not excite her. In fact, love was one of the emotions she had only reserved for her friends and members of Fairy Tail. Her pride and achievements were seen to others like badges she wore proudly. But to Erza, they were the armor that kept her heart safe. She was intimidating to most men around her, and none dared to approach her in a romantic way. Either their fear of her refusal or their envy of her achievements made them stay far from her. It was lonely, but she was content with her life. That was until Jellal appeared again. Here, staring into the tormented eyes of her long lost companion, Erza felt herself letting the shield lower for him. He was the only one she had left herself open to. The only man she could ever love like this.

"Erza, I've loved you since the night those monsters almost killed you." His direct confession stunned her, leaving her unable to respond. This was the first time they had ever talked about their experience at the orphanage directly. His face held no embarrassment from his admission, only guilt and shame. "It was why, the night you escaped, I was willing to sell my soul to the devil to give you freedom. I wasn't afraid to end a life to make sure you could start yours all over again."

"Jellal…" She whispered his name like a prayer, feeling his hand shake on her wrist. She wasted no time flipping the hold, lacing her fingers between his to try and sooth him. Like remembering a bad dream, Jellal's free hand covered his eye. The other was wide open, Jellal shaking his head slowly.

"I still can remember those monster's faces. I see their twisted smiles and murderous smirks as they promise to find you and kill you slowly. How they changed to pure fear when I wrestled the hatchet from their possession. For those few minutes, I…I _wanted _to kill them. Like a demon had possessed me, I didn't stop even when they begged…I watched life disappear from their eyes without remorse." His breathing became heavy as tears slipped down his face. She knew he was remembering every detail, and she quickly pulled him into her arms to try and scare off the fragments of memory. A part of her knew what Jellal had done, especially when the orphan owners never came searching for them. Jellal had never returned either, and she had always thought he had died too. Erza had made sure every one of the orphans got a proper home, being the last one to leave that town. Still she never caught sight of him. Now she knew why; Jellal had been too mortified over what he had done to come back to them. He thought they would see him as a cold-blooded killer.

"You were young; you were doing what you needed to protect the children. If they hadn't been stopped, they would have just gotten another group of kids to start over with. You were strong," She whispered, slowly falling to her knees with him.

"That wasn't strength; it was evil. Something that could still live inside of me now. I could never trust myself to be with someone. If they made me mad, I could…" He choked on his own words, and Erza shook her head before holding him tighter.

"You would never harm an innocent person. I know you."

"You can't say you know me after what I did that night."

"The past will not repeat itself if you are aware of it." He stayed silent at her response, and Erza was almost afraid he hadn't heard it. His hands slowly gripped her arms around him, fingers trembling while he buried his forehead into her shoulder.

"When Lucy said what you truly felt for me, I was filled with happiness and fear. Though I feel so strongly for you, my fear came with the realization that being with you could cause you pain. I can't trust myself enough to risk it. It's better to watch you from afar then to ever put you in harm's way. So many times when we were together, I couldn't resist holding your hand or watching your blush. But knowing of how dangerous I am, I never would go further than that. This is why I cannot allow you to continue loving me. I'm sorr—" Jellal seemed shocked when Erza yanked him back far enough to slap him across the face.

"That's not your choice to make!" She shouted, shaking her head once. "I choose what my destiny is, not you or anyone else. I love who I want to love; feel what I wish to feel! These emotions cannot be altered because of your fear of pain. They won't change because of what you did to protect me all those years ago. For you to allow your fear to destroy your happiness is something I cannot stand to see. You will rise from these ashes and live, Jellal! I won't let you fall back into that darkness ever again! Friend, enemy, lover, or comrade, none of it matters to me. I will never let you face these demons alone again."

"Erza…" He looked up at her, Erza weakly smiling through her own tears as she cupped his cheek in her hand.

"You will fight through this with me, and make it out alive. If we're together, nothing can break us. Friendship and love; that's what makes even the strongest demons tremble. We will get your happiness back, Jellal. Together."

"But…is that okay? For me to rely on your strength in facing my own demons? It sounds pathetic, from a man's point of view." Jellal sighed and dropped his head to rest against hers, their breathing intermingling between their lips. His hand reached out to grasp the one that had struck him, holding it tightly through his declaration. "But I am not a normal man, and you are certainly no ordinary woman. Erza Scarlet…I would be honored to have you by my side in this battle. I cannot ask you to be my girlfriend or lover yet, because I know I haven't gotten rid of the guilt and pain that would only hinder our relationship. But know this; you are the only woman who has a hold of my heart. If these demons can be dispelled within me, and I can be half the man you deserve, I will ask for this hand for eternity. I see myself with nobody but you in end."

"I will wait for that day, Jellal Fernandez." Her cheeks slightly warmed as his mouth leaned closer to hers, his last words whispered against her lips.

"Thank you." The kiss he placed against her trembling lips held no happy ending. It was a kiss of promise shared between two warriors. A declaration of never-ending hope, to see the day when their kisses wouldn't be tainted by their bloody past. Erza kissed him back whole-heartedly, relieved her feelings were understood. She could wait besides Jellal for as long as he needed.

True love was patient for those who deserved it.

* * *

**BONUS SCENE #2**

"You look good enough to be a model, Juvia." Juvia hesitantly laughed at the once over Lyon gave her, putting her hands in front of her while shaking her head.

"Juvia thinks Lyon is being too kind. Juvia isn't the type to model." Blushing at the lingering stare on her legs, Juvia focused her attention on the sandwich she had been nibbling on during the entire conversation. Though Lyon was a sweet guy, Juvia never felt the same spark she did with Gray. He complimented her far more than Gray, and in much more romantic ways. But there was just something about her true love that could never be rivaled by his step-brother.

"You are too hard on yourself. Really, your body is a beau—oh. It's you." The sudden dry tone in Lyon's voice had Juvia turning behind her, excitement instantly appearing in her features.

"Gray!" She squealed his name, which normally caused the older boy to wince or send her a disapproving look. When neither happened, Juvia hesitantly took a step toward him in concern. Was he drunk again? She furrowed her brows then quickly dismissed the option. Gray was a loud drunk, and would be trying to talk to anyone he could. The scene was extremely rare, and Juvia could only remember one time he had let himself get wasted. So, if he wasn't drunk, then why wasn't he scolding her?

"The party was much better when you were distracted with beer pong. Go back and play with Natsu and Gajeel; Juvia and I are busy." Lyon's statement got a fierce glare from Gray, but no words. Okay, now Juvia knew something was off. She hurried to Gray's side, placing her hand on his arm in concern.

"Did something happen? Juvia heard commotion earlier, but Lyon refused to let her get involved." She noticed the discoloration of his left cheek, implying that he was in another fist-fight. So that was what all the yelling was about. She knew that it was most likely Natsu, since she had seen them arguing before Lyon dragged her into the other room. "You're hurt, Gray."

"Take a walk with me." It wasn't a question or a suggestion at all. Normally, any request from Gray was polite and regal. He had manners even when he was half-naked or bleeding all over the place. But this time, his request was different. Juvia's face turned red at the forceful tone in Gray's voice, instantly realizing she enjoyed a forward Gray just as much. There was no side of Gray that disgusted Juvia. Her knees trembling when he grabbed her hand, Juvia barely had time to wave bye at the fuming Lyon before she was out of the living room. He snagged his keys to the apartment on the way out, stopping only to give Juvia time to grab her jacket.

"You don't have a shirt on," she warned, knowing how cold it could get in the middle of the night.

"It's fine." His voice was short while he moved out of the house, and Juvia wondered just what it was that Natsu said. Knowing she was getting her hopes up, she remembered that at least part of the fight was about her. She had almost fainted at the way Gray called her name, though she hadn't been close enough to hear what the actual fight was about. Still, it must have been something important if he had been that worked up over it. Juvia stayed silent as they walked through the parking lot of the dormitory, the streetlights lighting their pathway. He had yet to let go of her hand, but she would rather cut her tongue out than make a peep about it. Instead, she turned her attention onto the man next to her. Short puffs of white air escaped his mouth, but he seemed to not notice. Maybe he had gotten used to the cold because of his stripping habit? She glanced to his chest before looking away quickly, feeling like a pervert. This certainly didn't seem like the time to be ogling him, especially if he had something important to talk about. Gray didn't make it a habit to leave his own events.

"Are you enjoying the party, Gray?" She asked, trying to jumpstart whatever conversation he wanted to have with her. He shrugged, looking over to her as they stopped beneath a light post.

"It's mayhem whenever I let Natsu come to these things, but nothing I can't handle."

"Did you two make up? Juvia saw you fighting earlier." At the mention of the scuffle, Gray scoffed and crossed his arms.

"It was more about what Lucy said."

"Lucy?" Her jealously taking hold of her, Juvia instantly intensified the grip on Gray's hand. "Did Lucy try to make a move on Gray?! Is that why Natsu went after Gray? Juvia will have to have a word with her!"

"What? No, no! For the last time, Lucy and I are just friends." Gray smacked his forehead before turning toward Juvia. "She told me something…about you."

"About Juvia?" She tilted her head slightly, wondering what exactly Lucy said to cause the grimace on Gray's face. Not liking to upset her love, Juvia took a step closer and relaxed her grip on his hand. "Whatever Juvia has done, she is sorry."

"The night I had to stay late at the art studio…did Lyon ask you out for dinner?" She wasn't expecting _that_ was what was bothering Gray. Juvia slowly nodded, instantly regretting it when Gray pulled away from her. "So, like a date?"

"What? Oh, no. Juvia only accepted Lyon's dinner proposal because Gray was busy. But Juvia does not consider it a date," She defended, shaking her head several times. Didn't Gray know she only had eyes for him? From how he ran his fingers through his hair, she was starting to think he didn't.

"You're the only one who thinks that way. When two people go out like that…" He looked up at her, and groaned at the innocent look she had on her face. Did this girl understand just how easy it would be for her to be misinterpreted as Lyon's girlfriend? Without warning, he felt the corner of his eye twitch. That was not the image he wanted to think about, especially with Lucy's information still fresh in her head. Not to mention Natsu's taunting.

"But Juvia doesn't see that as a date."

"Lyon did. That's why he tried to kiss you, right?" Gray said it so casually, he was sure she didn't notice the slight anger in his tone. His eyes narrowed when he saw the faint blush on her face as she seemed to remember something. No doubt the kiss. That really pissed him off more than he liked. "He only tried, right?"

"Huh?" Was Juvia so distracted by her memory that she didn't hear his question? Not liking that Lyon could get under Juvia's skin that simply, Gray closed the distance between the two of them.

"Did Lyon actually kiss you?"

"No." Her answer was so quick, Gray knew she wasn't lying. A part of him knew before he even asked that Juvia would never kiss Lyon, but something about Natsu's taunting rubbed him completely wrong. While it was true Gray wasn't in a relationship with Juvia, some things were just understood between them. Like _not_ going on dates with that bastard Lyon. Seeing the confusion on her face from his questioning seemed to prove that she was still as head over heels for him as she had been for years.

"_I ain't losing Juvia to him" _He was shocked at how possessive he sounded in the earlier fight with Natsu. Hadn't he just been telling Lucy a few days ago that the girl was only a friend? Glancing over to Juvia again, he knew that had been a lie as soon as it came out of his mouth. Even if they weren't official, he had to admit he enjoyed having her by his side. That was why he bought her the box for her DVDs. That was why he gave her a key to his apartment (even though Lyon had been the one to suggest it first). Hell, Juvia was the only girl he had let sleep in his bedroom. _Ever. _He mentally groaned at the jabs from Natsu he had gotten after the midget discovered that information. He had to pay the idiot not to tell Juvia about that particular information.

"Do you like Lyon?" Somehow, it wasn't enough for him to just see her admiration tonight. He wanted to hear it too. It was a pride thing, or a jealousy problem. He wasn't sure. It just pissed him off, and he knew it was evident in his voice. Her eyes widened at his blunt question, but no response came from her. A panic he had never felt with Juvia set in. He placed his hands on her shoulders to get her to focus on his voice. "Do you have to think about your feelings for Lyon?"

"N-N-No! Juvia only wishes to be with Gray! Juvia is just…confused as to why Gray is so concerned about Juvia's feelings for other men." He was acting like Natsu, which was almost impossible to admit. Whenever Lucy would even mention another guy, Gray was subjected to an hour rant about everything wrong with him according to Natsu. The flame-head would freak out and fret about something so insignificant, Gray would want to punch him across the face. Sometimes he did. But now, feeling the bitter nips of jealousy in his own heart, Gray could see why Natsu had acted that way.

"I just…I have some personal hang-ups that no girl would want to deal with. So I'm kind of expecting you to give up on me eventually." It was weird, admitting his insecurities with Juvia. Or with any girl for that matter.

Dating for Gray was just…hard. Gray didn't know how to take care of other people. Sure, he was a great friend and always came through when Natsu or Lucy needed his assistance with something. But to actually take care of someone?

"Juvia will always be with Gray, no matter how many hang-ups he has. She has stayed this long, dealing with Gray's emotional problems, hasn't she?" Her hands rested over his, and she gave him a reassuring smile. Gray paused at the unexpected response, realizing that Juvia walked a different path than most college girls. She was pretty capable of taking care of herself. Sure, it was obvious that Juvia liked to cling to him like a baby Koala. She just seemed to enjoy being around Gray. But she was very intelligent and had a bright future in her biology major. Add that to the fact that Juvia was really pretty, and had been turning guys down for as long as Gray could remember. She knew several self-defense moves thanks to the ever cautious Erza, and had a knack for picking up his apartment whenever his schoolwork and job overtook his life. She helped with their laundry or dishes, and was always a phone call away if Gray just needed someone to talk to. He couldn't quite remember a time when Juvia had let him down. She was a very reliable person when it mattered the most. And when it came to Gray, Juvia was happy to just be in the same room as him. There were no crazy demands and she never stereo-typed him for being a man. She appreciated everything he did for her, and never hesitated to help him when he needed it. She was just simple.

Basically, Juvia was his girlfriend without the actual title.

So…why weren't they dating? Gray scowled a bit at his own question. When people asked him that, he never did quite have an answer. It just seemed like the obvious reply to deny anything was going on with him and Juvia. That had been his response for years, right? But he had no interest in other women, and he always felt himself gravitating toward her. On nights when he had nothing planned, Juvia was normally the one he called first. Sometimes he'd call her just to check in when he hadn't seen her for a couple days. Sexually, it was a no-brainer that he found her attractive. He had caught himself looking at her legs more than once. Now that he was the one asking the very question that had been haunting him, he felt almost stupid. Maybe even a little embarrassed. And that was not something Gray was willing to feel for long.

"Do you want to go out for dinner?" The two locked eyes, Juvia blushing at how close Gray had gotten to her. Her breath hitched for a moment, and he took the second to clarify his question. "This isn't like you and Lyon, either. I'd like to take you on an actual date tomorrow."

"Really?" She asked, squealing when he casually nodded his head. Instantly the girl's arms were around his neck, hugging him tightly while she continued to chant 'yes' in his ear. He sighed while scratching the side of his head, knowing this tiny step on his part would seem like a monumental jump for Juvia. The woman was a little over the top more times than not, and they still had a long way to go relationship-wise.

Still, Gray couldn't wipe the smile off his face when wrapping one arm around her waist and pulling her closer to his body. Maybe taking care of someone so simple wouldn't be bad after all.

**Happy end for all! I hope that you enjoyed this story, as well at the little bonus scenes at the end. I love love love working with these characters! Each relationship has their own flare, and I hope I did each of them as you would like. I loved writing this story, and I hope the ending did it justice to all Fairy Tail fans. Give me a shout and let me know.**

**Now for your help! As you know, I mentioned a new Fairy Tail project coming up. It's still in the works, but it's definitely going to be a longer story. With that, I feel I may need someone to help bounce ideas off of. Kind of like a sounding board? Let's just call them a Gopher; someone who does whatever I need them to do without complaint…okay, sounded kind of sexual. But you know what I mean! . If you're interested at all, send me a message with a little about your writing experience, Fairy Tail knowledge, and about you in general! =D thanks in advance and make sure to REVIEW! **


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